


fine line | stiles and harper imagines

by dyiansobrien



Series: Harper Verum Series [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Smut, Teen Wolf, spin off from my teen wolf series, stiles and harper, stiles stilinski imagines, teen wolf imagines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:20:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 68,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29741412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyiansobrien/pseuds/dyiansobrien
Summary: from my wattpad.stiles and harper imagines.
Relationships: Stiles Stilinski/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Harper Verum Series [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165103
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Characters: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall (mentioned)

Set: CANON (after season 6: age 22)

Summary: Stiles comforts Harper after a nightmare.

Requested? @larae333 but also inspired from amazylee 's comment on genesis chapter fifteen "i can just imagine stiles going kinda like "sorry, just a nightmare" because it's so normal for nightmares like that for them and the neighbours are all confused and like what the fuck kinda nightmare is that"

Nightmares weren't uncommon for Harper and Stiles. After escaping every supernatural disaster by the skin of their teeth, their minds were bound to run wild and plague them with memories they wished they could bury a hundred feet underground. It was impossible for them to forget, even if their teenage years were far behind them and nothing had happened in four years.

Instead, they worried about other things- like work or paying the bills.

Harper had barely had enough to pay for their groceries this week, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as she started to take everything out of the plastic bags and put them away accordingly. Their fridge looked a little bare, but payday was coming up in a week and then hopefully they'd manage to make that money stretch better. If their shower hadn't broken at the start of the month then they probably would have been fine.

"Hey, beautiful." Stiles' arms wrapped around Harper from behind, making her tense slightly until he pressed a soft kiss to the side her neck and moved away to grab a glass from the cupboard. "How was work experience?"

Harper sent him a small smile. "It was okay. I'm just really tired now."

If Stiles had a dollar for every time heard the phrase come out of his fiancee's mouth, he would most likely be a millionaire. After graduating from university less than a year ago, Harper still needed some extra work experience in order to go into clinical psychology like she wanted to. It meant she had to balance work experience and the part-time job she had at a coffee shop to help Stiles pay the bills, so she was constantly exhausted.

"It will all be worth it," Stiles promised her. "Not too much longer with the work experience stuff and you can start applying places."

Harper nodded, "I know. How was work?"

"Same old, same old," the Stilinski man huffed as he took a sip of his drink. "Cameron being annoying, missing you."

The brunette finished putting some jars in a cupboard and closed it, finally facing her boyfriend with raised brows. Stiles grinned cheekily from where he leaned against a counter, placing his glass down and opening his arms.

"You left early this morning again," he huffed as she walked into them, resting her head on his chest.

"The train's always so crammed, I wanted to get an early one," Harper mumbled, holding him back just as tight as he was holding her. "But I called you when I knew you would be awake, did I not?"

"You did," Stiles acknowledged. "You know, I was thinking we order in tonight. You're exhausted, I'm exhausted, and this week has been so long. What do you say?"

"I say that you are the smartest man I have ever met, Mr Stilinski." Harper pecked his lips and moved away to grab the menus they had tucked by the toaster. "You pick a film, I'll call up."

...

Harper thanked the delivery man before she closed the door to their apartment and swiftly locked it, balancing the bag in between her dainty fingers. She heard Stiles shuffling around in the living room and the sounds of cans being opened as she walked down their short hallway and entered.

Stiles put a can of Cherry Cola on the side for Harper and sipped at his own as she put their takeout in front of them. He'd already gotten cutlery out and he was fiddling with the remote, going through Netflix to find something to watch.

"What do you want to watch?" He asked her.

"Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we find?"

Stiles shot her a look. "I'm being serious. Stop quoting Harry Styles for five seconds."

Harper shrugged. "I'm not bothered. Whatever you fancy."

The man beside her didn't reply but continued to flick through films as Harper sorted out their food. Once she'd finished, Stiles had settled on some kind of horror that didn't look too promising if Harper was being honest.

She scoffed, "Really, Stiles? It's rated three stars."

"That's 0.5 more than half, which means it's more good than bad," Stiles insisted, dismissing her as he sat back. "Besides, you said whatever I fancy," he mimicked her accent at the end, making her smack him playfully.

"Fine. But if I fall asleep, you're carrying me to our room." Harper made herself comfy.

"Deal." Stiles shrugged, shovelling a forkful of rice into his mouth as the film started.

About twenty minutes in, nothing particularly scary had happened to the main character yet and Harper was already bored. They'd both finished their dinner and their stomachs were full.

The busy week started to catch up to her as she shifted her body to lay across the couch, resting her head in Stiles' lap as she watched the TV. She felt his eyes on her for a moment or two and noticed the way he smiled before his slender fingers started to glide through her hair.

She yawned quietly, feeling herself start to grow sleepier and sleepier, when Stiles jumped from underneath her and gasped.

Harper's eyes snapped wide open. "What?" She mumbled.

"Jump scare," Stiles muttered. "Are you even watching?"

"Mhm," she lied. "Just got distracted s'all."

The Empath forced herself to pay attention. On the screen, the main character, a teenage girl, was walking through bleak hallways, clearly terrified as she looked for something. Harper found herself a little interested.

Suddenly, a drill or something started up in the background and made the character and Stiles jump again. Harper tensed, swallowing thickly as the sound brought back memories of her own.

Harper screamed in utter agony as the blade twisted, drilling through her head. It went slowly, her father being careful not to go too far. Her stomach turned, threatening to release the little contents it had inside as she felt the cool air against the new wound. Blood was spilling out onto the pillow, sweat mixing with it as she breathed heavily.

Stiles felt the way his girlfriend's body was sort of frozen and he stopped running his fingers through her hair, gently shaking her shoulder and leaning over to try and see her face.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked carefully.

Harper nodded. "Yeah," she croaked. "Just watching the film."

Stiles looked at her figure wearily, knowing something was off. It was one of his many talents to know when Harper was telling the truth of lying, despite not being the Empath in the relationship.

He reached across to the arm of the sofa and gripped the remote, flicking the TV off.

"You're right, this movie's crap," Stiles instisted, holding her arms to pull her off of his lap but not let her stray too far. "I think we should call it a night."

Harper nodded, a bit confused, but climbed from her seat anyway and moved to grab the plates from the coffee table.

"Hey, I got it. You've had a long day," Stiles spoke. "Go put your pyjamas on and get comfy."

Harper tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure? I can help—"

"It's two plates, Harps," Stiles laughed. "I insist."

He wandered into their small kitchen before the brunette could protest, so she moved in the opposite direction and went to their bedroom, grabbing her night clothes out from a chest of drawers.

Harper had a candle warmer on all day so their room smelt nice and it was toasty, comforting her and making her completely forget about her father and Eichen House four years ago. She pulled on her sleeping shorts and a tank and tied her wavy hair back into a loose ponytail before brushing her teeth.

She climbed under the covers of their bed and moved to Stiles' end, holding the pillow close to her body and inhaling his smell. It brought her immense comfort, nearly lulling her to sleep immediately.

When Stiles entered their bedroom and saw her, he smiled. She normally did this when she was tired if she went to bed before him, but he didn't mind— he liked it. He loved her.

He pulled the shirt off his head and the khaki pants off his legs before going to the bathroom to brush his teeth too. When he returned, he gently peeled the pillow from Harper's arms and replaced it with his body, letting her lay on him as he tucked the pillow behind his head where it should be.

He traced patterns on her shoulder, listening to her soft breathing as it grew slower. Stiles knew he was asleep when he felt her weight relax against him, smiling a little at how calm Harper looked. He wished she could be this at peace all of the time.

...

When Stiles woke to screams, the first thing he did was reach his arms out to Harper's side of the bed and make sure she was still there. His foggy brain quickly processed that it was her screaming and he realised she was having another nightmare, making him snap to life.

"Hey, hey." Stiles jumped to hold her trembling body as she trashed about, unable to get out of his iron grip. "Harper! Baby, wake up!"

Only a few seconds later did her screams die down to sobs and she was awake, her cheeks wet with salty tears that held terrifying stories she wished she could forget. Harper clung to Stiles, breathing heavily with wide eyes.

"You're okay," he promised her. "You're alright, bubba. It's okay."

"St-Stiles," Harper cried.

"Yeah, it's me, sweetheart." Stiles kissed next to her ear and ran his hands up and down her arms before the pads of his thumbs did their best to wipe her tears. "I'm here for you."

"I'm sorry," she heaved.

"No, don't say that. You don't need to apologise to me."

Harper sniffled and nuzzled further into the crook of his neck as she shifted her body so he could hold her properly. Stiles stared worriedly into the darkness but didn't stop tracing comforting patterns against her soft skin.

"Was it about Eichen?" He hesitated to whisper, earning a nod.

Her nightmares were always either something to do with her father or being shot by Matt at the Sheriff's station, while Stiles tended to dream of being taken by the Ghost Riders again, or being possessed by the Nogitsune. No matter how many years went by, their teenage years refused to leave them.

Before Stiles could offer her any more reassurance, the doorbell rang and made them look at each other in the darkness, only just being able to make each other's faces out.

"It's four in the morning." Stiles' face scrunched up. "I'll be right back, Harps. I'll bring you tea, too."

"Th-thank you."

He listened to her sniffles with a broken heart as he pulled some joggers on and left the bedroom, flicking the hallway light on and flinching at how bright it was. The doorbell ringing for a second time didn't even make Stiles move quicker, he just rolled his eyes and yanked the door open— he had worse things to worry about like his girlfriend suffering post traumatic stress.

Unsurprisingly, Harper and Stiles' neighbours from their left side stood there, pyjamas on and horrified looks on their faces.

"Is everything alright?" The woman exclaimed.

"We heard screaming, we didn't know whether to call the police or not," her husband spoke.

Stiles chuckled awkwardly. "Ohhh. No, no! We're fine, don't worry. Just a nightmare."

"What kind of nightmare is that?" The woman huffed.

Stiles scratched the back of his neck, unsure what to say. Oh yeah, don't worry. My girlfriend, my friends, and I just all had a lot of supernatural shit happen to us when we were teenagers and now we all sort of have PTSD and forgot that it's not actually normal to wake up screaming.

"She has bad ones," was all Stiles said. "Sorry for disturbing you, but I need to head back to her now and make sure she's okay."

The husband hesitated before he nodded, guiding his wife away and sending Stiles one more unsure look. Stiles huffed and shut the door, locking it and going to the kitchen where he flicked the kettle on.

It didn't take him long to make Harper's tea just the way she liked it, making one for himself too, before he went back to their bedroom.

Harper was sat up cross-legged, her eyes rimmed red but dry from any new tears. She accepted the mug and thanked him before sending a weak smile in his direction.

"Number eighteen?" She assumed.

"They're so damn nosy," Stiles joked back, making her giggle a little as she lifted her tea to her lips and took a couple sips of the hot liquid.

"We're gonna be okay, you know," he said. "Even if these nightmares never stop, they'll always just be nightmares now. Nothing else."

Harper nodded and leaned against him. "You know what would make me feel better?"

"What's that?"

"Prank calling Scott."

Stiles laughed wickedly, grabbing his phone from his bedside table. "Angry client from the animal shelter or stranger trying to join his pack?"


	2. Chapter 2

CHARACTERS: [Harper Verum/Stiles Stilinski] Rose Verum, Allison Argent, Scott McCall, Lydia Martin, Isaac Lahey

SET: AU (no supernatural)

DESCRIPTION: When you turn sixteen, a number appears on your wrist that tells you how many miles you are away from your soulmate. Harper is pretty sure she will never find her soulmate who is 5,337 miles away.

REQUESTED? Nah 

Harper Verum loved the concept of soulmates; she'd always been such a hopeless romantic

Harper Verum loved the concept of soulmates; she'd always been such a hopeless romantic. Growing up, the brunette girl only ever read books about people finding their other halves, or watched films where best friends turned sixteen and realised they were destined to be together for life. With her entire being, Harper wanted that for herself.

She wished her teen years to go faster with every birthday that passed, desperate to finally reach the age where she would find out how far away she was from her significant other. The anticipation of everything made time feel like it dragged along ten times slower, especially when she started secondary school and was forced to watch all the older kids start to get their numbers.

When she was thirteen, a girl three grades above her received her number at lunch (the time she'd been born), and it had been the boy she was set next to. Harper remembered hearing her cries of surprise and glancing up from her sandwiches, seeing the commotion going on a few tables away in the lunch hall, and wanting- needing- that for herself.

But Harper's sixteenth birthday eventually rolled around. She was glad that she had been born at two in the morning so she'd only have to wait for two hours, her hands clammy and her heart pounding as the minutes dwindled by and her grandma handed her a mug of hot chocolate.

"Thanks, grandma," Harper murmured to the woman, barely peeling her eyes away from her bare wrist as she placed it on the arm of the sofa. "You don't have to wait up with me, you know."

"Only a few more minutes now, sweetheart," Rose replied with a small smile. "Besides, I want to know too. I can't believe you're sixteen already."

Harper's smile stretched across her entire face and she gave a nervous giggle. The minutes went by agonisingly slow, but eventually, Harper and Rose were left quietly counting the seconds in the living room of their home in Brighton. It was raining outside, the noise nearly blocking their whispers out, but Harper could only hear the sound of her heart beating rapidly and the blood pumping in her ears.

"Five."

"Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

Harper's breath seemed to be caught in her throat as Rose finished counting. The brunette flipped her wrist over and felt her stomach drop, every dream she'd ever had shattering there and then. She heard the gasp leave her grandmother's lips and knew this was no malfunction- her eyes were not deceiving her- her wrist really said that.

5,377.

Her soulmate was five-thousand-three-hundred-and-seventy-seven miles away and the burning sensation on her delicate skin confirmed it. It didn't take long for the tears to well up in her brown eyes, her heartbeat intensifying until it felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

This rarely ever happened.

In fact, people with numbers that went too high were often called 'the doomed', destined to live a lonely and frustrating life without their soulmates. Harper had seen a few documentaries in class about them but refused to even accept it was a possibility. The UK was relatively small, so the maximum was five hundred miles before you were considered 'doomed'.

Harper's wrist was ten times that.

"Oh, Harper. Come here." Rose pulled her granddaughter in for a hug, feeling as the shocked tears soaked through her shirt. "It's okay. You're okay."

Harper didn't say anything but remained frozen. This was the worst thing that could have ever happened to a hopeless romantic like her.

She always thought her soulmate would end up being somebody she already knew, or she'd run into him or her when she was in university and they'd grab her and apologise for knocking the books out of her hand before realising their wrists both read zero and-

That wasn't going to happen now.

"It doesn't matter," Harper lied, pulling herself away from Rose as she felt her heart grow heavy in her chest and her fists clench.

"Harper-"

"It doesn't matter, grandma." The brown-eyed girl swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed herself off the couch. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Harper ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, throwing herself onto her mattress and pulling the duvet over her frame. As soon as her head hit the pillow, the tears streamed faster and she shoved her face into it to muffle her cries. Her phone started to light up with texts from her friends, asking what her number was, but Harper ignored them all.

She officially hated soulmates.

...

"Harper, my soulmate is three miles away!"

Harper glanced up from her friend who was sitting beside her in class, the blonde-haired girl staring at her wrist in amazement. The brunette swallowed and forced a smile.

"They're getting closer, huh?" Harper barely looked over, forcing herself to blink at the equations written on the pages in front of her instead.

Megan nodded. "It's like they're looking for me or something!" She sighed blissfully before noticing how quiet the girl beside her was. "Oh... I'm sorry, Harper. I didn't mean it like that."

Since her sixteenth birthday, word had gotten around about her soulmate number. Pitiful looks were passed her way in the halls, even by teachers, and some of the ruder kids cracked jokes that they thought she wouldn't hear sometimes.

Harper hated it.

Even her friends acted differently around her when their sixteenth birthdays came around. She felt like a complete and utter outcast.

She tried to hard the red numbers with the sleeves of her school blazer and dreaded PE lessons when she was forced into the white polo shirt and blue-striped shorts which were not just ugly to look at, but exposed her mark.

"I know," Harper accepted the apology. "Don't worry about it."

But Harper worried about it. For the rest of the lesson, she couldn't concentrate on her work.

...

"Hear me out. I did some research."

Allison Argent had arrived at Harper's college less than three months ago, but the pair had already hit it off as best friends, despite knowing Allison never stayed in one place for too long. Harper liked Allison because the Argent girl had no clue about the number on her wrist, so she was the only friend that didn't shoot her sympathetic looks every time soulmates were brought up.

Until she found out last week.

"Allison, please," Harper groaned.

Her head dropped onto the table from where she was sitting in the studying area of their college, her English Language pre work sprawled out in front of her. She was already drowning under the new stress of college— she did not need her friend reminding her that her soulmate was a whopping five-thousand-something miles away.

A year had gone by and the seventeen-year-old was somewhat coming to terms with it.

"Harps, I wanna help you," Allison huffed, taking the seat next to her. "I don't know exactly how it feels, but when my parents moved me here and I ended up three and a half thousand miles away from my soulmate it hurt."

Allison's soulmate was a boy who lived in New York, but she was forced to move away from him when her dad got a job near London. Allison said she hated him for a while, but she still FaceTimed her soulmate every single night.

"Plus, I don't like how they call you doomed. It's disgusting," Allison spoke. "So I worked out loads of places that are about 5,300 miles away from here and I wrote them down."

Harper raised her brows and folded her arms across her chest. "Go on," she muttered.

"Okay, so, there are places in Asia, Africa, and North America that are exactly 5300 miles away from us right now," the Argent girl continued. "Like Ethiopia, Sri Lanka—"

"You really think the universe hates me that much? I only know English and German!" Harper huffed. "And my miles go down the further west I go, so..."

Allison shrugged. "Well a lot of states in the USA are around five thousand miles away."

Harper's shoulder sagged in defeat as Allison started to name them all. "Listen, Ally. I really appreciate it, but it's no use. Even if I figured out where my soulmate is, I can't afford that shit. I have uni to think about soon."

"Harps—"

"Allison," she cut her off strictly in a tone the taller brunette had never heard come from her. "I'm being serious. Please stop."

"Okay," Allison sighed. "But... if you ever want to look, count me in, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

...

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Harper, happy birthday to you!"

Harper grinned at all of her friends, raising the can of dark fruits cider in her hand and clashing it with theirs. Cheers came from all around her and the tipsy teenager swayed as the music turned back on, some pop song off the radio that Harper had heard too many times.

"You're eighteen, bitch!" One of her friend's squeezed her shoulders as she yelled in her ear. "How does it feel to be finally getting drunk legally?"

"Pretty cool," Harper laughed back.

She let her head feel heavy on her shoulders and her veins buzz with excitement as the alcohol continued to filter through her system. Despite being so small, Harper was pretty good at handling her alcohol— but she had had a lot tonight.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and she jumped, quickly turning to see a guy from her Psychology class. Harper cringed and pushed him away, not in the mood.

"Oh, come on," the boy slurred. "It's not like your soulmate's gonna know, is it?" He practically cackled.

Harper's face hardened and she reached on her toes to lift her cam above his head before tipping it everywhere. She grinned as he gasped, his curls growing matted with the substance and the smell staining him.

"Arsehole!" She yelled at him and moved away, drifting outside the house where it was much more quiet.

A The Neighbourhood song began to play inside and Harper wished she was in the mood to go in and dance with her friends, but her night had been ruined. The cold crept up her arms and held her hostage, her teeth chattering a little as she sat down on one of the steps.

Harper stared into the darkness, pursing her lips and tasting some alcohol on them again. Hesitating, she pulled up the long sleeve of her shirt and glanced at the numbers on it.

5,023

Her soulmate must be away from home. She didn't check in on them much— only in times like this, which were rare. Whenever she washed her hands or had a bath, she'd never look. It was just a stinging reminder of the fact that hers would never read zero like all of her peers'.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Harper quickly pulled it out, revealing an incoming FaceTime request from Allison, who'd moved back to America a few months ago.

"Happy birthday!" Allison cheered as soon as she answered. "It is midnight over there, right?"

"Yep," Harper smiled drunkenly at her friend and moved further away from the party so she could hear better. "Thanks, Ally."

"Of course," the brunette dismissed her. "Listen, here's my birthday present to you, okay? And don't say it's too much because your grandma chipped in to help me."

Harper's face scrunched up. "Allison... what..."

"You're coming to stay with me for a while!" Allison cheered. "Only two weeks, but my dad said that it was a good idea and I spoke to Rose and she loved the idea too. What do you say?"

Harper liked the sound of it. She didn't even want to face the party full of drunk teenagers anymore, she wished she was on the plane heading to Allison right now.

"Thank you," she breathed.

...

Three hours into her flight and Harper was already bored out of her mind. She's read the book she bought at the airport and listened to her playlist twice already. What she needed was to use the bathroom, but she felt too awkward to ask the man next to her if she could squeeze past. .

She stared at his sleeping figure and the gap between his legs and the chair in front and wondered if she could make it. Worst case scenario, she falls on him and he wakes up.

Harper sighed, about to nudge him when her eyes cast down to his wrist lying limp on his lap. His figures were going down with every mile they passed, and Harper realised that she hadn't even thought about hers.

Hesitantly, the brown-eyed-girl swallowed and started to pull up the sleeve of her tee. Her eyes widened.

3,823

She'd never seen the figure so small before. Harper knew it was still huge, but as it went down and down and down, she felt herself growing excited.

No, don't. False hope equals heartbreak.

Harper pursed her lips and fought back the smile anyway, rolling the sleeve back down. This feeling was new. She felt like she was fifteen again and totally oblivious to the fact that she would be cursed to live so far away from her soulmate.

She wondered if he or she was looking at their wrist and smiling too. Maybe they'd given up like she had, or maybe right now they were in disbelief, totally thrilled to watch as their soulmate move closer and closer.

...

"Scott! Scott! Dude!"

Scott McCall huffed as he slammed the door to his locker shut and turned to see his best friend running down the hall. Stiles Stilinski looked like he was made up of just legs as his limbs came flailing about, but he stopped before he ran into Scott and breathed out a laugh.

"That was close."

"Bro, you really need to stop yelling across the hall. It makes everyone look at us," Scott warned him.

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, whatever. I have good news."

Scott frowned. "What is it?"

The Stilinski boy didn't reply but extended his wrist out and flipped it so Scott could see the inside, revealing his number. While it was usually around the 5,300 mark— or 5377 if Scott was to be precise, since Stiles had worked out that that was when the number was most stable, so that must be when he and his soulmate are both at home— this time it had dropped.

By thousands.

"What?" Scott looked alarmed, wiping Stiles' wrist with his fingers as if he had drawn it on. "When was the last time you looked at it, dude?"

"This morning, when I woke up!" Stiles exclaimed. "Then I fell asleep in class and Harris smacked my wrist with a ruler so I look down and bam!"

"It's gone to 2,792 in the matter of five hours?" Scott summarised, earning a nod. "Stiles, you know what that means."

Stiles grinned. "My soulmate's nearby. Or- well, you know, not nearby but nearer than usual. Oh, god. What if she's coming to find me?"

"Like you were gonna do after graduation?" The McCall boy raised his brows. "Maybe. Where did you think she was from again?"

"Europe— somewhere over there anyway. When I go south the number increases, so it can't be South America," Stiles spoke. "Dude, I just hope she speaks English. I bombed French last semester."

"What are you two talking about?"

Scott and Stiles glanced over at Lydia Martin as she strolled over, Isaac Lahey right behind her. The hallways were starting to hustle with life so they began to walk towards the exit to find somewhere to eat for lunch.

"Stiles' soulmate is getting closer," Scott grinned, squeezing his best friend's shoulder. "We think she's on a flight."

Lydia raised her brows. "Right now?"

Stiles nodded and, again, showed his friends his wrist. They watched the miles grow lower and lower, feeling happy for their friend who had been heartbroken when he was labelled doomed at the age of sixteen.

"Have you heard the story for those doomed soulmates? A woman realised her number was going down and worked out that her soulmate must be on a flight, so she tracked all the flights that were coming in in the direction she thought her soulmate lived and worked it out."

"That sounds really far-fetched." Isaac's nose scrunched up. "How would she know what airport her soulmate was stopping at?"

Lydia shrugged. "When the numbers stopped, she worked out all the airports that were exactly that many miles away and then went there."

Stiles' eyes were wide. "Can we do that?"

Lydia smirked. "We can try."

...

"Allison!" Harper squealed as she saw the brunette standing by the baggage claim, her father a few feet away as he watched the teenage girls collide with a smile on his face. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Allison breathed before pulling away. "It's been way too long."

"Honestly," the shorter girl laughed.

"How are you, Harper?" Chris Argent asked with his usual amount of ease. "Was your flight smooth?"

Harper smiled at him. "It was great, thanks, Mr Argent." Her eyes scanned the conveyer belt and she saw her suitcase. "Ah, just a sec!"

She moved over and grabbed it, hauling it off and then jogging to stand next to Allison. Chris led the way to the car park while the two girls conversed excitedly, Allison telling her all about the plans she had for them for the next couple of weeks.

"Sunny California," Allison announced as they walked out of the doors. "What do you think so far?"

"She's only seen the parking lot so far, Allison," Chris spoke from where he was walking a couple feet ahead.

"The weather's beautiful," Harper said anyway. "Palm trees too!"

Allison giggled. "Oh man. I can't wait to take you for your first Taco Bell."

...

"Harper, your wrist!"

The brunette's eyes immediately snapped down to where her sleeve had rolled up, landing on her number.

39

"Allison." Harper's heart lurched and she felt sick.

With the excitement of reuniting with her best friend, Harper had somehow managed to forget about the number that had been going down on her flight two days ago. She hasn't checked it since it hit around her two thousand mark, but now it had gone down from four figures to two.

"Oh my gosh!" Allison leaned forward across the table of the diner they sat in, her brown eyes wide. "Did you know it was going down?"

"It was like two thousand on the plane, but I didn't know it had gone down so much!" Harper breathed shakily. "Allison, I might cry."

"Okay, let's just calm down," Allison insisted. "Maybe— oh my God!"

38

Harper didn't know why she felt so sick. Maybe it was because she had accepted a long time ago that she would never meet her soulmate, and she definitely wasn't prepared to meet them now.

"Do you think they're trying to find you?" Allison asked eagerly.

"I don't know," Harper whispered, studying the number.

39

"It went up," she quickly noted, but only a second later it flickered back down.

38

"They're trying to find you!" Allison gasped. "They're tryna figure out the direction, surely."

Harper ran her hands over her face and pushed the plate away from her, no longer feeling in the mood to eat. She ran her fingers against her delicate skin, swallowing when the number went down again.

"Does my hair look okay?" She suddenly asked, and Allison grinned slyly, glad her friend was finally giving in to the whole soulmates thing.

"You look beautiful," she promised her. "What do you wanna do? Wait for them?"

Harper exhaled shakily and nodded, sitting back in her chair and studying her wrist.

35

...

Stiles was on the verge of a panic attack, his teeth gnawing down on his thumb as he stared out the window of the jeep. Scott was driving so Stiles could tell him which direction made his number go up and which directions made it go down.

3

"What if she's in her house, Scott? I can't go knocking every door," Stiles panicked.

"We'll figure something out," his friend reassured him. "And if we do end up in a neighbourhood, we will knock on every door. Dude, you can't let your soulmate go. This could be your only chance."

"You're right," Stiles breathed, looking down at his wrist and wincing as it went back up to 4. "Turn the other way. We've gone too far."

Scott nodded and did as he was told, driving Stiles' most prized possession in the other direction. They were in a town that neither of them had ever been in before so everything looked foreign to them, only adding to the nerves that Stiles felt.

2

1

"Scott," Stiles whined as he felt his anxiety start to take over. "What do I say to her when we meet?"

"I don't know, it always just comes naturally when people meet their soulmates," Scott shrugged. "You'll be fine, Stiles."

Before the Stilinski boy could protest, he felt his wrist burn a little and he winced, looking down.

0

"Stop. Scott, stop the car," Stiles demanded, looking up to see that they were in the middle of a car park, restaurants and other stores surrounding them.

"They're less than a mile away, Stiles, but that doesn't mean they're right here."

"I wanna- I have a feeling, Scott. Can we just look around?" Stiles pleaded with his friend, earning a nod.

Scott pulled the jeep into a parking space and the pair quickly opened their doors and chucked themselves out. Stiles craned his neck, hazel eyes darting around nervously as he tried to find any girl that looked like she could be his age.

The place was bustling with life though, all sorts of people moving in and out of shops— a whole herd of people coming from the cinema where a film had obviously just finished.

"Oh my God. " Stiles ran his hand through his hair before he looked at Scott. "How does this work?"

"Well, when you lock eyes, you just kind of know," Scott shrugged. "That, and her wrist will say zero too."

Stiles moved over to the herds of people and began to stare at their wrists, Scott doing the same thing. The pair of teenagers weren't exactly subtle about it, Stiles going as far as to lift one girl's wrist who smacked him.

Stiles held his cheek and shot her a dirty look as she began to talk about him with her friends, but didn't hesitate to move on. Scott nearly facepalmed watching the awkward boy duck and squint his eyes, desperate.

"This isn't working, Stiles," Scott huffed. "We gotta try something else."

"Like what, Scott? What else could possibly—"

"I don't want to wait anymore, Ally." Stiles heard a restaurant door open behind him and watched two girls leave, both about his age and very pretty, but most importantly— the one who spoke had an accent.

"Harper, you can't just give up—"

Scott and Stiles both looked at each other with wide eyes, their jaws nearly dropping as they watched the girls head down the pavement towards a parked car.

"The short one," Stiles whispered, not having caught a proper glance at her yet. "With the accent. It's gotta be her."

Scott shoved his friend. "What are you waiting for? Go get her!"

Stiles hesitated before he realised she was about to get in the car and he panicked. He couldn't let her get away— not when he'd spent the past two years upset thinking he'd never actually meet her.

"Hey!" He yelled before his brain could stop him, swallowing nervously when both girls paused and turned to look at him.

Stiles only looked at the short girl. Her dark brown hair was in waves around her tan face, her mahogany eyes wide as she stared at him. She had a cute button nose and perfectly framed brows, not a single trace of an imperfection on her that Stiles noticed. The girl wore a burgundy pinafore with a tan-coloured long-sleeved tee underneath.

She was perfect.

He started to move closer, stuttering as he grew lost for words.

"Um, I'm— I'm Stiles," he introduced, not taking his eyes off her for a moment until he stood only a couple of feet away.

"Harper," the British girl murmured, extending her hand.

Stiles grabbed it in his, immediately noticing how much dantier it was compared to his. They slotted together like two puzzle pieces, and Stiles decided that nothing had ever felt this right to him before. As they shook hands, eyes not leaving each other, they came to a mutual understanding.

You're my soulmate.

"How?" Harper whispered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear nervously. "I mean, how did you find me?"

Stiles smiled bashfully, shoving his hands in his pockets as he felt his face heat up. "Um, well, my friends and I managed to work out where abouts you'd be after you flew over, and- and we kind of went from there."

"So you're like a detective?" Harper teased gently, somehow feeling comfortable with the stranger immediately.

"That's the plan," he admitted before he noticed her friend staring and he straightened up, scratching the back of his neck. "Um, well, we should totally exchange numbers or something."

Harper nodded eagerly. "Of course." She pulled her phone out. "Um, but can you message me on WhatsApp or something? I can't call or text abroad or I get charged big time."

The realisation that Harper wouldn't be staying here for long hit Stiles and, somehow, without even knowing a thing about this girl, it felt like a hammer had been sent to his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. What-whatever is easiest for you," Stiles nodded, taking her phone and putting his contact information in.

"Harper," her friend called from the other side of the car. "Why don't you and Stiles go to the beach a couple blocks down? My dad said we don't have to be home until eleven anyway."

The small brunette grinned thankfully and looked to Stiles who nodded at the speed of lightning, eager to spend more time with the soulmate he had just found.

Stiles and Harper, he spoke in his head. Sounds good.


	3. Chapter 3

CHARACTERS: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski

SET: canon-future (age 30)

SUMMARY: Harper and Stiles find out they're expecting

REQUESTED? Yup— @a_girl_has_n0_name @escalatedquickly24 and others <33

Stiles' eyes slowly blinked open, his body uncomfortably warm as he realised his body had been cocooned by a white duvet— courtesy of his wife who he didn't have the heart to tell he preferred not to be wrapped up so warmly when he slept

Stiles' eyes slowly blinked open, his body uncomfortably warm as he realised his body had been cocooned by a white duvet— courtesy of his wife who he didn't have the heart to tell he preferred not to be wrapped up so warmly when he slept.

He found himself smiling anyway, daydreaming of the brunette woman who always tried to show she was thinking of him. Whether it was tidying away his stuff when he'd passed out over paperwork or pulling the duvet up to his shoulders every morning after she got out of bed, Harper promised to radiate her unconditional love in any way she could.

Stiles liked to have the covers no further than around his ribs when he slept— unless it was freezing out— however, Harper was the exact opposite. She always liked the covers up to her chin if she wasn't sleeping on Stiles' warm chest, and their height difference annoyed her because it meant they were constantly wrestling to get the covers either further up or down their bodies.

Stiles knew how Harper got cold easily. Her hands and feet were always freezing while his radiated heat all year round, so if in the middle of the night he woke up to find he'd unconsciously won their tug of war and she was shivering a little in her sleep, he'd wrap her up and grab a blanket from the living room, perfectly content with keeping cool in it.

Harper hadn't even picked up on it like he had— even if they'd been married for nearly four years now. And so, as she left their bed this morning and saw Stiles with the duvet half way around his waist, she'd immediately pulled it up and placed a kiss to his forehead, unknowingly making him wake up half an hour late, a sweaty mess.

Stiles pulled the covers off of his body, instantly feeling cooler from where Harper left the windows open. She liked it that way— the fresh air of their small town circulating their house and freshening everything it touched.

As the Stilinski man started to wake up more fully, he noticed the quiet music coming from downstairs and realised Harper was in a good mood— not that she was normally in a bad one. He rubbed his eyes as he climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom across the hall, hopping in the shower.

Stiles did his quick morning routine and headed downstairs, his shaggy hair wet and dripping down his naked back. A pair of grey jogging bottoms hung on his hips as he moved to the small utility room, shifting through the clean laundry to find the shirt he wanted.

"Baby, baby, baby, I love you!" Stiles' head lifted when he heard Harper singing purposefully off-key, her soft giggles following.

He slipped the black shirt on over his head and moved into the kitchen, smiling softly at the sight. Harper pressed a kiss to their dog's head and placed him back onto the tiled floor, Bolt immediately trying to jump back up her legs.

"Bolt!" Harper laughed, shaking her head. "I just picked you up, bubba."

Stiles folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the door frame before Bol quickly noticed him. A short bark left the dog's mouth and he came bounding over, licking at Stiles' feet and making the man laugh, ducking down to scratch his head.

"I'm assuming you were proclaiming your love through song to Bolt and not me just now?" Stiles joked as he kneeled down to make a fuss of Harper's pride and joy, looking up at his wife.

Harper was smiling at the two with gleaming brown eyes. "Why, of course."

"Am I just your second choice now?" Stiles feigned hurt as he stood up and made his way over to her, towering over her petite frame.

Harper grinned. "Never," she whispered and leaned up to grab him into a kiss, her hands holding the back of his neck to pull him down a little.

Stiles kissed back, his hands holding her waist to pull her even closer. Their kiss was cut short by Harper pulling away running her fingers up and down the back of his neck, making Stiles shiver as they glided into the back of his hair.

"I'm going into town to get Allison a present for her birthday party next week if you wanna come," Harper breathed.

Stiles nodded, kissing her nose before they broke apart. "I need breakfast first. Have you eaten yet?"

Harper shook her head no.

"What do you want?" Stiles asked, looking through their shelves and cupboards. "Cereal? I can make us eggs real quick if you want."

"I'm not really that hungry," Harper dismissed him.

Stiles shot her a look. "Harps, breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

"I know, I just feel ill," Harper admitted, ignoring the concerned look she earned from her husband. "Okay, not ill ill. Just feel like if I eat I'll be sick."

Stiles slowly nodded. "Fine. I'll take you out to lunch then. You know, this is the third time this week you've skipped breakfast. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Stiles," Harper smiled at his concern and the fact that he had picked up on things even she hadn't. "I'm fine."

"Okay, okay. If you're sure."

...

Harper carried the small Pandora bag in between her fingers, pushing her sunglasses up her nose as she walked down the street beside Stiles. The man on her side carried a couple bags of his own, the pair shopping for a couple of hours before Stiles pleaded for a lunch break.

They chose a cafe a little further down the street, tucked away from the busy shoppers. It was bustling with life today as Stiles pushed open the glass door, the aroma of coffee hitting Harper's nose immediately and she felt her stomach flip.

The coffee machine was rumbling in the background of the customers conversing and Stiles was too busy reading the board behind the counter to realise Harper was holding her hand over her mouth, feeling extremely nauseous.

"- the rocky road one looks kinda good... Hey, are you okay?" Stiles' brows furrowed when he saw the uneasy expression on Harper's face.

"I feel sick," she blurted.

Stiles' hazel eyes widened a fraction and he put a hand on her lower back, guiding her out of the cafe and back into the fresh air. Harper felt a little better, heaving for the freshness but still feeling like the scent had stained itself on her nostrils and clothes.

"Are you okay? Do you think you're gonna throw up right now?" Stiles asked, rubbing her back.

"N-No, it's passing," Harper held a finger for him to wait, swallowing the lump in her throat as she prayed not to be sick in front of everybody.

"I think we should get you home," Stiles sighed. "You look kinda pale."

"No, no. We can go somewhere else- just- no coffee places, please. The smell makes me feel like ew," the Empath spoke, feeling her stomach turn.

"The smell of coffee?" Stiles repeated, raising his brows. "You love coffee."

"Recently I haven't been loving it," Harper admitted.

Stiles' brain started to whir, and the longer he stared at her, the more Harper started to think. She wasn't sure why it was such a big deal to him until she realised what he must be thinking and her heart dropped.

Both their eyes widened at the exact same time.

"No," Harper blinked, shaking her head. "I can't be because I had my period at Isaac's house two weeks ago and we had to leave early—"

"That wasn't two weeks ago, Harper," Stiles swallowed. "That was nearly five weeks ago."

Harper froze in her spot, grabbing her phone out of her pocket. She moved to her period tracking app and nearly dropped the device when she realised somehow her husband was right. She was supposed to have gotten her period a few days ago now, but this wasn't particularly odd— her periods had always been irregular.

However, being nauseous for days on end was.

"Do you think... do you think you could be pregnant?" Stiles asked hesitantly.

"Maybe," Harper replied quietly. "Should we get a test?"

The Stilinski man nodded and they changed routes, hand in hand as they nervously exchanged glances.

...

Harper had taken a pregnancy test once before— when she thought she was pregnant with Calum's baby. She remembered phoning up Lydia and crying like it was yesterday rather than six years ago, and all of the relief she'd felt when she realised it was false.

Everything felt different this time.

Both adults were a mixture of excited and nervous, perhaps more the latter, considering the fact that they had always agreed they'd plan for a child when the time was right.

The concept of pregnancy had always terrified Harper too. Thinking about a human growing inside her and all the responsibility was insane and most months she could barely scrape through her period cramps, so she despised the idea of birth and feeling drained and weak after. Especially if she had to have stitches.

She shuddered, her life flashing before her eyes.

Stiles placed a hand down on her back from where they sat on their bed, stroking it comfortingly as they waited for the timer on his phone to go off. Harper closed her eyes and leaned her body against his.

"For a moment there I was worried about what my dad was going to think if it's positive, and then I remembered we're thirty," Stiles admitted, emitting a giggle from his wife that made him smile.

"I'm scared," she admitted quietly, making him look at her seriously. "It's not that I don't want a baby, I just- this is a lot."

"I know." Stiles ran his hands up and down her arms. "I'm pretty sure every new parent thinks that, but... let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, okay? It could be negative for all we know."

The sound of his alarm beeping made them both jump. Stiles switched it off.

"I guess we'll find out now." He climbed off the bed and held his hands out, taking Harper with him into the bathroom where the pregnancy test was lying down on the counter. "Do you wanna look or should I?"

Harper squeezed his hand which was trembling a little. "I can do it," she said.

"Wait—" Stiles called before she could touch the white stick. "Our lives could be about to change forever."

The brunette nodded. "It could, and if it does, definitely for the better, Sti."

He nodded back, his hand resting on her shoulder as he glanced down. Harper picked it up, taking a deep breath before she slowly flipped it.

Positive.

"Holy fucking shit." Stiles backed away, his hazel eyes quickly gathering with tears and something inside of him filling that he didn't know was even empty. "I'm gonna be a dad."

He bit down on his thumb to contain his excitement before his gaze snapped to Harper and he saw her sniffling, a proud smile on her face.

"Baby," Stiles cooed, swiping her up off the ground and making her laugh as they spun. "We're gonna be parents."

He ducked into his knees and peeled Harper's shirt up, revealing her flat stomach. He grinned up at her, kissing her delicate skin.

"There's a baby in there," he whispered in amazement.

"Not yet," Harper giggled tearily, wiping her cheeks. "Just a bunch of cells right now."

"Our cells!"

Harper released a louder laugh, throwing her arms around him tighter. While she hadn't been expecting to be pregnant, Harper couldn't say she wasn't excited— she was thrilled.

"I love you so much," she murmured, connecting their lips.

"I love you more."


	4. Chapter 4

Characters: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Allison Argent, Lydia Martin, Matt Daehler (+ others mentioned)

SET IN: AU but follows teen wolf/borderline plot

SUMMARY: Harper fell in love with the wrong best friend, and by the time she realised it, it was too late.

REQUESTED? Nope

Also quick disclaimer that this is over 9k words long and quite angsty. Kinda inspired by a mix of 'so bad' by brandon colbein and 'i love you' by billie eilish and thIS TOOK ME HOURS AND I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO FEEL ABOUT IT

also some OOC Harper and a little OOC Scott too ://

Stiles Stilinski couldn't remember a time where he wasn't hopelessly in love with his best friend; it was like asking him to remember a time he couldn't walk or talk. It was just that easy to fall in love with Harper Verum.

Everything had started the moment the brunette had turned up one random day in fourth grade, stuttering nervously and unknowingly making Stiles' heart skip a beat. He'd taken action immediately; doing the first thing he could think of to get her attention and shoving a glue stick in Scott McCall's mop of a haircut.

They were merely nine-years-old back then and Stiles was pretty sure 'love' was just a word his parents said to him every night before bed. He had no idea why this girl with the brownest eyes and the sweetest smile was suddenly making his stomach do flips, but it felt dangerous and Stiles liked it. He liked her.

Harper was the perfect final puzzle piece to Scott and Stiles' friendship and soon enough teachers were calling them the trio and letting them all work together when it was meant to be partner work. Harper's home became the hangout for the three every single weekend since she had the biggest garden and her grandmother made the best cookies Scott and Stiles had ever eaten before.

When Stiles' mother died only a couple of years later, Harper had Stiles' back more than anyone- even his own father who tried to be there for Stiles, but only ended up choking on his own grief in the process. Scott wasn't very good at comforting Stiles, always managing to say the wrong things, whereas Harper seemed to be empathetic by nature; she always knew exactly what he needed, whether it was a hug or the kind of advice Stiles was pretty sure only adults were smart enough to give.

"It's okay," Harper whispered, blinking sadly at her best friend as he sat in the hallway outside their class, tears streaming down his pale face. "You're allowed to cry, Stiles."

Stiles shook his head, wiping his eyes harshing with his palms. "No. No,I'm a wimp. Boy's don't cry."

"Human's do," the brunette in front of him shook her head. "Everybody cries, that's such a silly thing to say, Stiles. It doesn't make you any less of a boy to do so."

He remembered the way she was looking at him as his hazel eyes flickered back up to her small figure. Harper was already smiling slightly, the dimples prominent underneath her mouth as she reached down and grabbed his hand in hers. Stiles was shocked by the affection, his cheeks blazing red. Holding hands was meant to be something only couples did.

She squeezed his hand and pulled him up from the ground. At this point, Harper was taller than Stiles by an inch- something she took great pride in. While she stood at five foot one, he stood at five foot nothing. Little did the both of them know, Harper would never grow a single inch again and Stiles would shoot up to tower over her.

Harper smiled at him as he looked down at their hands, having no idea that that was the exact moment that eleven-year-old Stiles realised he'd fallen for his best friend— and hard.

However, as they grew older in each other's company, Stiles began to learn not to take Harper's gestures as anything other than platonic. Harper seemed to hold hands and hug Scott too, and when his parents split, she comforted him just like she had done for him when his mother passed away.

Being in love with your best friend was hard. Stiles knew that from personal experience. Sometimes he wished he could like anybody else but the bubbly brunette, but it seemed impossible. No other girl even compared to Harper, not even any of the fictional crushes he had from the countless comic books he read.

"You only have comics," Harper huffed, picking up the glossy material and throwing it back onto his bed with a sigh. "That's so boring. How are you supposed to understand what's going on properly?"

Stiles shot her a look. "Um, you look at the pictures. Pretty basic knowledge, Harper."

"But how can you care about any of the characters if you don't know what's really going on in their heads?" Harper genuinely wondered.

"Thought bubbles—"

The thirteen-year-old girl rolled her eyes and laughed, shoving him. "You know what I mean." She picked up another superhero one. "I'll never understand it."

"M-Maybe you should give it a shot," Stiles shrugged. "Sometimes you don't know you're gonna like something until you really look at it, you— you know?"

Harper thought for a moment. "My dad always said only idiots read comic books. No offence."

Stiles' automatic reaction was to blurt 'well your dad's an idiot' before realising how insensitive that would be, considering he'd died only a few months ago now. In fact, this was the first sleepover he'd had with her since the incident. Harper never wanted to leave her grandma for too long, getting homesick even at school sometimes.

"Hi guys, sorry I'm late!" Scott's voice broke the comfortable silence that the pair sat in as he barged through Stiles' bedroom door, a bag thrown over his shoulder.

Harper beamed at him. "That's okay, Scotty."

The only thing that could make the situation worse was Harper being in love with somebody else. And the only thing that could make that worse would be her loving their best friend, Scott McCall.

Stiles wasn't quite sure when she had fallen for the best friend they shared and loved. Perhaps he had been too listening to her laugh or watching her smile to realise she hadn't been looking back at him; she'd been watching Scott instead.

He hated Scott for a long time when he found out. Deep down, the Stilinski boy knew it wasn't his fault that he'd stolen Harper's heart and not even given her a second glance, but he couldn't help but feel so infuriated, knowing that by age fifteen, he would do anything to be Scott McCall.

Especially when Scott was bitten by a werewolf the night before their first day of their sophomore year. Suddenly, he was good at everything, including lacrosse. Stiles was forced to watch Harper cheer for him in the stands while he sat on the bench, just like he had been for the past year.

But then came Allison Argent.

Allison started at Beacon Hills High the very next day and he automatically caught Scott's attention. Harper watched in dismay as he handed her a pen and blushed, clearly feeling something for the girl he'd never even spoken to before.

I'm right here! Harper wanted to scream. Just look at me like you look at her.

She had no idea Stiles was thinking the exact same thing from the desk behind her, his hazel eyes boring sympathetically into the back of her head as he watched her shoulders sag in defeat at Scott and Allison's interaction.

It was the first of many to come.

Harper wasn't sure how she was supposed to survive her sophomore year with not only the supernatural threats looming over them, but having to watch her best friend fall in love with a girl that wasn't her. She knew Scott was falling hard for Allison, harder than she had ever seen anybody fall before.

She was all he spoke about. Sometimes it felt like she and Stiles were forgotten memories, only there to aid Scott with the werewolf aspects of his life and then getting the blame when everything went wrong. To make matters a hundred times worse, the only thing he talked about was Allison.

Allison this, Allison that.

It wasn't like Harper could particularly hate the Argent girl either. She was kind and beautiful and she seemed to really like Scott, defending him against Lydia Martin and Jackson Whittemore's nasty remarks and making sure to smile at Harper in the History class they shared.

Harper could see exactly why Scott had fallen for her. She was perfect.

And just as Harper was trying to convince herself to move on, a few days after he had admitted he was in love with Allison, Scott went and kissed Harper. She hadn't even seen it coming— one moment he was asking if she thought Allison would take him back and the next she was pinned against Coach Finstock's desk, their lips working together in a frenzy.

"You two kissed?"

Harper glanced up from where she was lying on her bed, staring at her ceiling. Stiles stood in the doorway of her bedroom, a distraught look on his pale face as he studied her, waiting for her to laugh and shake his head.

Instead, a dream-like smile crossed Harper's face and she nodded eagerly. Stiles thought his knees were going to buckle right there and then and he took a seat on the edge of her bed, his mind fogged as he watched the brunette sit up to talk more.

"Oh, Stiles," Harper breathed. "It was so out of nowhere. I mean, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting our first kiss to be like. I thought maybe it would be slower and a lot more gentle, but it was nice."

Stiles hated that he was going to have to be the one to break her heart. He hated to watch her feel so falsely loved, not when Scott was on his way to Allison's house right now to beg for her forgiveness.

"Harper," Stiles exhaled. "What about Allison?"

Harper immediately frowned, guilt swallowing her whole as she thought about her other friend. Only as the silence continued for a few more seconds did Harper realise what Stiles was implying— their brains worked well like that.

"Oh my god." Harper's hand moved to cover her mouth as she shook her head. "He- Scott only kissed me because it's a full moon, didn't he?"

She waited for Stiles to frantically shake his head and provide her with reassurance, but it never came. He just stared at her solemnly, his brows tugging down into a frown when he saw Harper's brown eyes well up with tears.

"C'mere," Stiles whispered, holding his hands out.

Stiles felt Harper's body crash against his, her dainty hands scrambling for the back of the jacket he was wearing and her cheek resting on his shoulder as her body started to shake with sobs. He stroked his long fingers through her dark hair and closed his eyes, mentally cursing Scott for breaking their best friend like this, and off he went to Allison's house, not knowing what he had done to Harper.

"I'm so s-stupid," Harper cried, pulling away and wiping her eyes with her hands. "I can't believe I thought that Scott would ever like me back in a million years."

The boy's hazel eyes melted against the dim lighting of Harper's bedroom, his heart aching for her and himself. It hurt to see Harper hurt, but it wounded him even more that she was crying over somebody else.

He knew Harper owned him nothing; Stiles wasn't about to pull the 'I'm such a nice guy, how could you not like me and be so ungrateful?' card. He wasn't comforting her right now because he wanted her to look at him differently, Stiles was comforting Harper because he genuinely loved her and he wanted to see her smile.

"You are not stupid, Harper Verum," Stiles gently scolded her. "You're in love. People... People don't think clearly when they're in love. It doesn't help that he kissed you first, either."

"It hurts so bad," Harper whimpered, clinging onto him again. "He doesn't even know what he does to me."

You don't know what you do to me either, Harps.

Harper tried to move on desperately after that. Stiles knew what she was doing when she sent bitter remarks towards Scott with every comment that the werewolf made, but it seemed to just be driving the trio apart. The worst part is that Harper wasn't even a fraction away from getting over her other best friend. Scott was just too perfect in her eyes.

When Harper passed out after taking Lydia to the field on the night of the winter formal, she was forced into a hospital bed and not allowed to leave all weekend. Scott visited only once, spending the rest of his time making out with Allison in secret locations and trying not to get caught by her father. Stiles stayed by her side the entire time, the two of them researching Empaths the best they could while Harper tried not to think about how much it hurt that Scott wasn't here right now.

"I wish Scott cared as much as you do," Harper whispered, making Stiles frown.

"H-Huh?" He scratched the back of his neck, worried she'd figured out just how in love with her he really was. "What do you mean?"

"You're always there for me, Stiles. Scott... He always has higher priorities," she shrugged.

"Allison," Stiles murmured, making her nod. "Y-You know, they said 'I love you' to each other at the winter formal."

Harper closed her eyes, picturing the moment perfectly in her head. Scott and Allison danced together while the three words she'd been dying to hear from Scott for years were spoken to the girl he'd only known for months. Meanwhile, she danced with Stiles. Not that dancing with Stiles was a bad thing-- she just longed for someone else.

"I need to get over him," Harper swallowed. "I don't know how, Stiles. I convince myself to give up and then he goes and smiles or hugs me and the butterflies just come soaring back."

"My mom always used to say that time heals everything." Stiles rubbed circles on the top of her hand which rested on the mattress of the hospital bed.

"Make him jealous!"

Harper closed her eyes at Lydia's voice and sighed, shaking her head. "Lydia, no..."

"I'm serious, Harper. You're sixteen and you've never had a boyfriend before. Show Scott exactly what he's missing," Lydia shrugged. "Maybe when he sees you kissing another guy he'll realise that he was with the wrong girl the entire time."

While Lydia loved Allison, she'd always be Team Harper. The two girls had been close friends since the small age of twelve, and Lydia had known about the undying love Harper had for Scott since some sleepover in middle school. She knew how crushed Harper was when Allison started talking about him.

"That totally only works in the movies," Harper rolled her eyes. "Besides, he's in love with Allison and Allison's in love with him and I love them both. I'm not gonna be that bitch."

"Erica Reyes sure has been trying," The strawberry blonde shrugged. "Did you see her in chemistry yesterday? She had her hand on his thigh for, like, five minutes."

Harper shook her head, a glum expression taking over her face. It seemed that as time passed, more and more girls started to show an interest in Scott and Scott noticed all of them apart from her.

"He's a stalker," Harper panted as she ran into Stiles' room, her jacket messed up and her brown hair messy from the flight up the stairs.

The boy with the buzzcut frowned as he glanced up, pausing the film that he'd been watching on his laptop and closing the lid. He noticed the alarmed expression on Harper's face and moved closer, his hands resting on her elbows as he guided her trembling figure over to his bed and sat on the edge.

"Who's a stalker? What happened?" Stiles questioned.

Harper forced herself to calm down. "Matt! Matt Daehler, Stiles."

"What did he do?" Stiles' jaw clenched and his hands parted from Harper's cold skin to ball his fists up. "Harper, what the hell did he do to you? I swear to god if he-"

"Stiles." Harper's eyes were wide, her heart hammering in her chest at how protective he'd grown.

The Stilinski boy recognised the look on her face and sighed, sitting back down. "I'm sorry. Please- please talk."

"He- He had pictures of me on his camera," Harper whispered, almost as if she was worried Matt would hear them talking right now- which wouldn't be shocking, honestly. "It started off with just a few of me on the stands at lacrosse games, but he took pictures of me in- in my bedroom, or me and my grandma at the mall. H-He-"

"Oh my god," Stiles breathed, running a hand through his buzzcut. "What the fuck?"

"He tried to get me to go to his room with him," Harper's bottom lip wobbled. "A-And I told him I had to g-go home but I came here instead. You- You were the first person I could think of."

Stiles froze a little, his hazel eyes widening a fraction. "M-Me?"

The relationship between Scott and Allison had been a little rocky lately, what with Gerard brainwashing his granddaughter and Scott having higher priorities like Derek and his new pack, so Stiles expected maybe now Harper would try and make her move- but here she was, in his bedroom. She'd picked him over Scott.

"Yeah, you," Harper said like it was obvious. "You- You always know what to do and you make me feel... I don't know... Protected, I guess?"

Stiles' eyes softened. "I can't protect you, Harper," he murmured, averting his attention to the carpeted floor below. "I'm not like Scott, or Isaac, or Derek. I can't do what they can."

Harper felt her heart break at how defeated her best friend sounded. She desperately wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, to remind him of all of the times he'd defended her or made her feel better. Harper didn't want the physical protection that Scott's claws and fangs could offer, she wanted the emotional protection that Stiles so effortlessly gave her every single day.

"Well I didn't want to go to them," Harper frowned. "I wanted to come here. To you."

She had no idea what her words were doing to him. Before he could reply, the Empath was wrapping him in a gentle hug, the smell of her perfume and shampoo invading his senses and making his brain go foggy as he held her back.

He wished they could stay like that forever.

"You- you two. You're with me."

Matt's voice sounded underwater in Harper's ears from where she stood next to Scott, her knees nearly trembling beneath her as he pointed a gun at them. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of her parents who had been murdered like this, and how Scott's mother was about to end up the same way.

Stiles struggled from where he was paralysed on the ground next to Derek, managing to shake his head. "Hey, hey, no, no, no, no, no. Matt, please, Harper-"

Matt pointed the pistol directly at Stiles' head and Harper sucked a breath in. "How tragic would it be if Harper lost her best friend the same way she lost her parents?" The stalker smirked, his words coming out slowly for emphasis.

The brunette girl swallowed thickly, feeling like her heart could start beating again when Matt peeled the gun away, leaving Stiles blinking tearily. She glared holes into the back of Matt's, not even noticing when Scott's large hand reached out to brush against hers as a comforting gesture. Harper was far more concerned about Stiles.

"Now, let's go say hi to your mom."

Stiles remembered exactly how defeated he felt when he heard silence before two gunshots went off. Screams came from Melissa and Harper, followed by the grunts of Scott. He prayed with everything he had inside of him that it wasn't Harper that had been hit, that Matt wasn't really that insane to shoot somebody that he knew couldn't heal supernaturally.

Not Harper, please not Harper, he kept repeating in his head.

Moments later, slow footsteps walked by and Stiles managed to crane his neck far enough to see the blood coating his best friends. Harper was holding her shoulder where a fresh bullet wound was, the crimson liquid trickling down her arms as her face paled. Scott was guiding her, but Harper seemed completely out of it- her breaths shallow as she did what Matt told them to do, not even looking at Stiles.

"He- Hey!" He yelled. "What the hell? Harper- Harps, are you okay?"

Before Harper could reply, she felt the gun press against the back of her head, silencing her. Stiles swore there and then, if they made it out of this alive, then he was going to tell her. He couldn't live knowing that she didn't know he was hopelessly in love with her.

Stiles couldn't get the words out. No matter how much he wanted to, he didn't have the courage. It was one thing to whisper it to her unconscious body from where she lay once again in a hospital bed, deaf to his language, but it was another thing to say it when she was wide awake and smiling at him.

He was the only person that really visited Harper, other than Lydia and her grandmother. Stiles hated Scott for not bothering with Harper much, but at the same time, Scott was probably just as traumatised- after all, his mother had just found out he was a werewolf.

But it didn't take long for Harper to leave the hospital. She sat in a sling a few days later in between Lydia and Melissa, her nose rosy from the cold air as she cheered Stiles on at the lacrosse game.

That's right, Stiles- not Scott. For the first time ever, it was Stiles playing on the field while Scott sat out, and Harper's eyes were on him the entire time.

When the whistle blew that ended the game, and he had scored the winning point, Stiles frantically looked around for Harper as the lights cut out and somebody screamed. His heart was in his throat when he felt himself get knocked unconscious, unaware that as his body was secretly dragged away, Harper was looking for him too- calling his name in the seas of people.

Something felt different when Harper found Stiles in his bedroom. The both of them could feel it. Something in the air had shifted as Harper stood in his doorway, her brown eyes brimming with tears at the bruises and cuts on his delicate skin. She reached forward and cupped his cheeks, turning his head to inspect them as she felt the salty water drip down her face.

"Harper," Stiles mumbled, catching a tear. "Please don't cry."

He hated to see Harper cry. It was like somebody had literally shot him in the heart- or worse, shot Harper in the heart and made him watch. Stiles knew that it was probably pathetic for him to feel this way about a girl who was in love with his best friend, but he couldn't help it. There was something about her that Stiles didn't see in anybody else.

Sometimes he thought that maybe even if he wasn't her soulmate, that she was definitely his-- and that scared him, because it meant he would never truly be happy.

"I was so worried about you," Harper sniffled. "Are you okay? Gerard did this, didn't he? I'm gonna kill him!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Stiles held onto one of her wrists gently as she moved her hands animatedly. "I'm fine, okay? Gerard just beat me up a little after the game, but I'm good now. Barely even hurts."

Harper's face crumbled. "Sti..." She used the nickname that never failed to make his heart skip a beat. "Please don't lie to me. I hate it when you lie to me."

Before she could say another word, Stiles pulled the wrist he was holding closer to his body, wrapping his arms around her petite frame. Harper stopped crying as she rested her head on the grey cotton of his Adidas t-shirt, instantly feeling calmed by the thumping of his heart against her ear. His hands held onto her back, and as they pulled back, Harper nearly froze when she felt her stomach do a flip as they made eye contact.

Luckily, Lydia was quick to interrupt, barging through the door with news about Jackson and Harper forgot all about the butterflies she'd briefly experienced for her other best friend.

In fact, that summer, she managed to not think about the feeling for a whole four months. Harper focused on her dying grandmother from where they were thousands of miles away from Beacon Hills, romance and friendship the last thing on her mind. When Rose finally passed one rainy afternoon in August, Harper didn't call Scott but Stiles instead, and she cried for hours, her phone bill going through the roof for calling internationally, but not particularly caring.

Staying in Scott's house when she got back was both a curse and a blessing. Her feelings for him hadn't exactly vanished over the past four months, so she dreaded the thought of seeing him nearly every hour of the day now. Not to mention the fact that he and Allison were no longer a thing, so the possibilities had widened.

But as the weeks dwindled by, Harper managed to keep her feelings under wraps. Scott still being in love with Allison and getting a whole fucking tattoo for her barely crossed her mind during the day. She was far too focused on helping Stiles work out the whole Darach situation instead, and avoiding her feelings at all costs.

And then Sheriff Stilinski was taken.

Stiles felt the panic creep on him abruptly, the sensation of fear so filling that his body immediately started to shut down. His father had been his lifeline when his mother had passed away, the teenage boy promising to look after his dad, and his dad promising the exact same thing. The thought of being orphaned made him feel physically sick to his stomach, his heart lurching and his mind fogging.

"Stiles," Harper panicked with him, her dainty hands guiding him into the boys' locker rooms since they were free. "Stiles, please, you gotta calm down."

"Ha-Harper!" Stiles stuttered as he fell down against one of the tiled walls. "Harper."

"I know, I know," the brunette cooed, attempting to sound strong for him. "You're okay, Stiles. Remember how you've always helped me through my panic attacks and I've been fine? I'm gonna do the same for you, okay?"

"Okay," he forced out, clenching his eyes shut momentarily, his hand resting on his chest where he could feel his pounding heart.

Harper grabbed his hand and made him place it above her heart instead, just like he had done for her once before when the Alpha had attacked her and Jackson at the video store. Stiles panted as he looked up from her hand resting on top of his to her big brown eyes.

"Breathe with me, Sti. Okay?" Harper instructed firmly before demonstrating. "In, our. In, and then out again. In, out..."

Stiles copied her actions, slowly feeling the anxiety melt away. A thin layer of sweat clung to his pale skin but his heart had calmed down and he was no longer shaking.

"Th-Thank you," Stiles muttered, a sour taste in his mouth. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Harps."

Harper smiled a little. "I would help you a thousand times over, Stiles."

Without thinking, Stiles moved closer and pressed his lips against Harper's. The brunette gasped in shock as his hands cupped her cheeks, his eyes flickering closed. She kissed back for a moment, before the sudden realisation of what was going on hit her and Harper pulled away, looking at him worriedly.

"Stiles..." Harper breathed.

"I-I'm sorry," Stiles blurted, shaking his head as he stood up. "I don't know what came over me. It must just be my dad and the whole Darach thing-"

As he began to ramble, Harper placed her hand on his arm to stop it from moving about so frantically. "Hey," she called calmly. "It's okay. I'll forget it happened if you do."

I don't want to forget.

"Deal."

Stiles tried to distance himself from Harper a little after that. Her rejection hadn't been harsh whatsoever, and just like she had promised, Harper pretended that it had never happened. She didn't even flinch like he did when they made eye contact, almost like she had forgotten completely- and Stiles didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Maybe the worst part was that Harper had kissed him back for a split second. For a split second, Stiles experienced what it was like to be loved by Harper Verum, but he'd had it all ripped away from him just like that, and never to be mentioned again. Nobody even knew that it had happened, not even Scott or Lydia who knew everything about them.

"I can't believe it's Stiles," Harper whispered, shaking her head. "I can't believe he's the Nogitsune."

Scott stood beside her, an anxious expression on his face as he rubbed her back. "I know," he breathed. "I know. But we'll sort it out, Harper. We'll find some sort of... I don't know, cure for him. Stiles will be fine."

The brunette nodded numbly, thinking about what had just gone down at the animal clinic. Void Stiles had knocked Kira out, Scott's latest crush, and stabbed Scott straight through the stomach, taking Harper's family ring off so she had to endure it. The worst part was looking into Stiles' hazel eyes and knowing that he was somewhere in there, screaming to be let out.

"How can you be so sure all of the time?" Harper shifted on the couch to face the boy who was extremely close to her. "You say that with full confidence, but how do we know that Stiles will be alright?"

Scott shrugged his shoulders, offering her a small smile. "I just have a feeling."

Harper didn't know what was happening when her best friend started to lean closer to her. Her heart was thumping harshly against her ribcage, her hands sweating as Scott tilted his head and pressed his lips against hers. It was much more gentle than the one that they had shared in Coach's office in their sophomore year, Harper's hand hesitantly reaching up to hold the back of Scott's head while he held her waist.

Harper immediately felt confused. There were no sparks, there was nothing there. If this was everything that she ever dreamed of since the age of twelve, then why the hell was she thinking of not Scott right now, but Stiles Stilinski? Nothing made sense in her brain, a flinch taking place on her face as she pulled away, leaving Scott confused.

"Did... Did you not like that?" Scott asked worriedly.

Harper exhaled shakily. "Scott... That wasn't supposed to happen."

"What?"

"You're not supposed to kiss me." Harper furrowed her brows and shook her head.

"B-But you like me, right?" Scott scratched his neck awkwardly. "I thought... I could smell your chemosignals."

Harper barely had the time to process that Scott knew she had liked him. "I don't- Not like that, not anymore," Harper admitted quietly. "You aren't supposed to like me back, Scott. I'm supposed to like you and then Stiles is supposed to comfort me and I'm supposed to fall in love with him in the end."

"What?" Scott repeated for the second time. "That makes no sense."

The Empath ignored him, her face brightening. "Oh my gosh, Scott. I love Stiles. I- I fell in love with Stiles. I don't know when, but I did a-and he thinks I don't like him."

Scott just watched in confusion from the couch. "Stiles?" He repeated. "You and Stiles?"

"Me and Stiles," Harper breathed. "Oh god, I need to go shower and then I'm going to his house a- and I need to tell him everything."

Suddenly, everything felt right to Harper. Perhaps it had taken her nearly five years to work it out, but she'd fallen in love with the wrong best friend. Scott was safe, he was kind and sweet, but Stiles was dorky and he made her laugh and smile and he took care of her. He never left her side- not when she'd been attacked by Peter, or when she was shot by Matt.

Harper loved Stiles.

The shower she had was quick before she pulled on one of her favourite outfits and minimal makeup before rushing to the front door. As she pulled it open, Harper swallowed, seeing one of the Eichen workers on the other side. She had met him briefly before, when Lydia thought Stiles was in the basement of the mental asylum.

"Harper Verum?" He asked with a fake smile.

"Sorry, wrong house," she blurted.

The brunette moved to slam the door, however, the man stuck his foot in the way, preventing it from closing. She struggled against him, shoving her whole body weight against the wood and grunting under her breath. Unfortunately, the man was heavier and all it took was a single push for the door to slam wide open and Harper to end up on the floor.

"We were afraid you would persist," He tutted, lifting up a needle.

Harper went to call out for Scott, but the man was already crouching down beside her. She landed a swift punch to his jaw, his head snapping to the side quicker than lightning. Climbing onto her hands and knees, Harper thought she was going to make it away from the stranger.

However, the next thing Harper knew, there was a sharp pain in her neck and hands around her body. As her eyes began to close and all her senses seemed to fold in on themselves, Harper knew only one thing for sure: she was screwed.

Harper's inability to fight the man off had led her straight to Eichen House where she found out she was roommates with Malia Tate, the werecoyote that they had found in the woods a few weeks ago now. Their friendship quickly blossomed, although Harper felt on edge the entire time, knowing at any point Jeremy could come and take her down to her father to experiment on her.

She was sure her friends would find her. Someone would come looking for her, they had to. Harper spent nights awake, listening to Malia snore from across the room, while she thought about the pack, mainly Stiles.

When she heard his voice a week later she thought she was hallucinating. Stiles thought he was going insane too- surely that wasn't Harper stood in front of him?

But it was.

"Harper?" Someone called uncertainly from behind her.

Harper jumped at the familiar voice and whirled around, Malia too, coming face to face with someone Harper had almost lost hope in seeing ever again. She knew in a week when she was emitted down to her father, there was a possibility she would never look into his hazel eyes or tell him how she truly felt, but now here he stood, equally as shocked to see her.

"Stiles?" She whispered.

Like opposite magnets, the couple collided, their arms wrapping around each other immediately. It didn't matter if they hadn't been on the most comfortable terms since their kiss in the locker room, all that mattered is that they were both there. Harper's dainty fingers clung to the back of his shirt, her face in his chest as he ran his hands through her hair, eyes wide with shock.

"What are you doing here?" They questioned in unison as soon as they pulled away.

Stiles ran a hand over his mouth. "I emitted myself here to protect everyone. We- we were looking for you, Harper. Why are you here? What happened?"

Harper's hand clasped his wrist and she brought him over to a secluded part of the hallway where no ears would be listening. Malia shot her a look, eyebrows raised.

"They got me," she whispered shakily, "they came to my house and they drugged me and took me here. If I don't get out of this place in a week, I'm here forever Stiles."

Chewing on his bottom lip, Stiles' hand moved into his hair. "Holy shit," he muttered, "we're gonna get out of here, don't worry. I don't know how yet, but we will. Why haven't you called? Everyone's out looking for you, even the police. Your poster is up everywhere."

Harper cut him off from his ranting. "I'm banned from the phone." She pulled up the sleeve of her maroon jumper, showing him the green and yellow bruises that littered her arms. "Anytime I go near that damn thing..."

Clenching his jaw, Stiles' fingers traced some of the patterns. He rolled her sleeve down and pulled her close to his chest after a while, closing his eyes as he relished in the feeling of being close to the girl he loved. When Scott had told him Harper was missing, it was like he had taken a sledgehammer to the heart, all his biggest fears coming to life.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, shaking his head. "I tried so hard to find you... We all did. I never gave up, I swear. I think I pretty much lost my mind obsessing over where you were."

Harper frowned, her hands reaching up and gently took a hold of his jaw, pulling his face down to look at her and making him nearly jump at their close proximity.

"Thank you," she leaned up on her toes and pecked his cheek. "I mean it, Stiles. You've found me now, anyway. Maybe I have a chance of getting out now you're here. I'm just glad it's you that's here, not..."

Shivers ran down her spine at the memory of the Nogitsune possessing her best friend.

"If I go through another episode you need to get away from me, Harps," the hazel-eyed boy pleaded, taking her hands and squeezing them. "When the Nogitsune takes over I have no control. I'm forced to watch all the crap that he puts you guys through..."

His eyes began to shine with tears. Harper nodded at him before any could fall. They stared at each other for a few seconds and Stiles knew Harper would do as he said. A hand clasped the back of Harper's shoulder, causing her to turn around.

Malia stood there, her arms folded across her chest and an expectant look on her face. "Harper, who are you talking to?"

Stiles' brows furrowed. "Malia?" He recognised, "It's me, Stiles. I'm Scott's friend, I helped turn you back-"

Before Stiles could finish his introduction, Malia swung her fist back and punched him as hard as she could in the jaw. Harper gasped as Stiles dropped to the floor on his hands and knees. A guard yelled Malia's name as Harper moved to assist her best friend, only for hands to grab her.

It ultimately ended in Malia being escorted away and Harper rushed over, checking the mark on Stiles' face with a frown. She wanted to say it right there and then— to admit all of the new feelings that came along with thinking of him or being close.

How Stiles caused the butterflies now, not Scott.

A bell chimed from above them, an echo of groans coming from the patients surrounding them. They resembled zombies. Stiles looked at Harper with furrowed brows.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"Back to our rooms," she sighed. "I need to talk to you though, Stiles. Seriously. I need- I have something important to say."

Harper's time didn't come for another day or so, until she found herself down in the basement of the asylum with Stiles whilst Malia waited on guard by the door to make sure that they didn't get caught.

"There's nothing here," the Stilinski boy sighed anxiously, "nothing to help us with the Nogitsune thing, nothing to get us out of this damn place!"

Harper placed her hands on his shoulders, her brown eyes boring into his as she tried to coax him, "hey, hey, calm down. Calm down. If we can't find something, Scott will. He's a lot smarter than we sometimes give him credit for."

Stiles swallowed but forced a nod, doubt still clouding his mind. Nothing Harper could say would stop him from believing that they were screwed. The mention of Scott coming from her lips made his skin crawl too. Since their kiss, it had been a lot harder to see Scott and Harper stand next to each other or simply talk, and Stiles knew how irrational it was- the three of them were supposed to be best friends.

But Harper had stopped kissing Stiles because she didn't love him; not like she loved Scott.

"Can you check my back? See if the lines are still there?" He asked, turning to give her access.

Harper nodded and pulled the back of shirt up, her heart dropping when she saw how much the had faded. The previously bright pink and red marks had faded to almost his skin colour, ready to become a part of him.

Her silence confirmed Stiles' suspicions and he sighed. He wanted to tell her more than anything that everything was going to be alright, but they both knew that he would be lying. Stiles was going to become the Nogitsune and get killed by Morrell and Harper was going to become a supernatural experiment conducted by her own father on a floor that nobody knew about, probably until the day she died.

"When did our life become this?" She mumbled after a minute, "remember when we thought Scott being able to control his anger and Derek popping up in random places was our biggest problem?"

Stiles chuckled a little despite the situation, "or how Scott would be able to play a game, or if Jackson would try and mess things up."

"I forgot about him," she hummed, "I wonder if he's doing well."

"It's Mr Porsche, of course he's doing well," Stiles joked.

She missed Stiles. She missed simpler times.

Her brown eyes drifted away from his hazel ones which were staring down at her. She found herself staring back at the wall that had the symbol for self on it. The teenage girl began to wonder who had put it there and why exactly in the spot.

She shifted off of the couch, Stiles pouting slightly as he watched her walk over to the backwards five. As she crouched down next to it and tapped her knuckles against the wall, he realised that she was onto something. He followed her over, his breath practically down her neck as he hovered.

"Do you hear the echo?" She asked, doing it again, "it's hollow. What if something's behind it?"

Stiles looked behind him, picking up a large metal rod and gripping it tightly like a bat, "then I intend on finding out what it is."

Harper took a couple of steps back as he swung, the heavy piece of metal going straight through the wall. Dust and plasterboard began to fill the air as he hit it again and again. Stiles' jaw was clenched, his teeth gritted as he let out all of his frustrations onto the wall.

Once the hole was big enough, Stiles released the rod so it clattered against the cold, concrete floor and rolled away, his heavy pants filling the room. Harper placed a comforting hand on his back as they both bent down to peer through the hole at what was inside. She almost gagged at the sight. A skeleton was propped up on a stall amongst the dust, it's body still covered in some type of uniform.

"That's him," Stiles gulped, his eyes becoming teary with fear, "the Nogistune."

Harper took a deep breath, "I can feel it's anger and frustration."

Stiles glanced at her, pursing his lips as she reached forwards, her own eyes concentrated on a piece of paper sticking out of the body's breast pocket. Her fingers nimbly grabbed hold of the photograph, opening it up so that Stiles could see. She almost gasped when she saw a woman that looked exactly like Kira.

"We've got to get this to Scott," Stiles muttered, standing up, "we need to get out of here."

A sudden buzz filled the room, followed by Stiles' groans as somebody came up behind him and tasered his side. Harper gasped, feeling the pain slightly in her own side as her best friend fell against the wall.

"Stiles," she gasped, looking back up at the person who owned the weapon.

"You took Brunski's keys," Oliver smiled, "I took his stun gun."

Stiles' body still quivered from the electricity as Harper moved away, her back pressed against the wall. He pressed the taser to Harper's arm, causing her to the slide to the ground as small whimpers escaped her lips. Stiles cried for Oliver to stop, but he didn't listen.

"I also got his Haldol," he lifted up a needle filled with the drug, moving it in Harper's direction.

"N-no," Stiles tried to move forwards, his body spasming uncontrollably, "Oliver, sto- stop!"

Again, Oliver didn't listen. The needle was shoved roughly into Harper's leg, causing her to wince. Maybe she would have cried out as he injected the liquid into her system if she could have. She felt as her surroundings became dim, Stiles' panicked words slowed and her eyes shut.

"I love you, Harper," was the last thing she heard.

Stiles became Void after that and Harper ended up waking up in the woods and being taken home by Sheriff Stilinski where she found out Harry had been the one to emit her to the asylum to save his own ass. Everything was going wrong and Harper wished time could just slow down so she could figure out what the hell she was supposed to do now.

Somehow, a few failed plans later, Harper ended up running away from Void in the concrete tunnels she'd been taken to. It was like he liked to play cat and mouse with her, teasing her by letting her run far before she turned a corner and he would stand at the end of it, a smirk on his face. Harper hated how much he looked like her best friend. She wanted Stiles back. She needed Stiles.

"He's not coming back," Void smirked as if he could read her thoughts. "You may have been able to separate us, but how long until Stiles gets too weak and dies? I give him a few hours maximum."

Harper choked on her own sobs, clenching her eyes shut as she tugged at the bars. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. Stiles didn't deserve to die, and he deserved to know the truth. He deserved to know that she had fallen in love with him at some point over the past few weeks, and that maybe she had been in love with him for longer than she thought.

She's wasted so much time being in love with the wrong person.

"You're not going to win," Harper swallowed, standing her ground but on shaking knees. "My friends are going to find me."

"You think so?" Void murmured from right behind her, causing her to turn around.

He was sitting on the top of the stairs, his elbows rested on his knees and his hands clasped together as he watched her give up struggling with getting the gate open. Void Stiles' brown eyes met hers, his signature smirk crossing his face.

"I myself was kind of wondering what they were doing right now," he hummed, "what useless lead they're chasing. I wonder if maybe some of them have bigger problems to deal with right now. Are they really spending every minute looking for you? Or... are they waiting for nightfall? Focused on some hopeless gesture to pass the time."

There was a heavy silence as Harper took in all of his words, her eyes a little dazed. She looked up at him as soon as she snapped out of it, finding his amused expression still on her face. He was soaking in every emotion she got, which was a lot seeing as she was an Empath.

"You want me to give you more?" She whispered, "you want to take away what I take in?"

Nodding with that sadistic smirk, Void stood up off of the stairs. "That's right."

He began to move down the stairs, taking his precious time.

"You witness every single day exactly what I crave," Void explained, finally getting to the last step where he pulled her hair back, his lips against her ear. "And I'm insatiable," he promised.

Harper pulled herself away from him, her back up against the bars as he chuckled, shaking his head. Then, like a switch, his smirk disappeared, his head tilting up to the ceiling as if he was listening out for something.

"They're here, aren't they?" Harper whispered, her heart skipping a beat. "And you're nervous."

Void didn't respond to her accusation, knowing it was simply an assumption due to the fact that demons radiated no emotions for Empaths to pick up on. He simply drummed his fingers against the wall of the tunnel, continuing to listen out.

"If they're here it means they've found a way," the brunette spoke confidently, "Scott never comes unprepared. That means game over for you."

"Well, that's exactly why I'm keeping you so close, little dove," his voice was barely above a murmur as his arm reached to rest above the wall above her head, pinning her in front of him.

Void grabbed her by the arm and moved her to the side before he yanked open the metal gate. Pushing Harper inside and the following behind, he made sure that the gate was shut firmly behind him. Before Harper could say anything, black mist started to pool around the circular room they were locked in before forming into warriors.

It was the Oni.

Void Stiles took what looked like a blade out of his pocket, glancing up at the Oni for a second before snapping it right in half. The tension in the room changed immediately. Before, Harper could sense that they were after the Nogitsune, ready to kill him like Kira's mum had promised they would, however now, it was as if they were on his side.

The game had changed.

The smirk had returned to Void's face as he looked down at the brunette that he had kidnapped. His hands gripped both of her arms, pulling her dangerously close.

"It's time," Void muttered, "give it to me."

Harper gasped as both their veins began to grow black, everything Harper had experienced in the past few weeks flowing straight into him. The chaos. The strife. The pain. And trust me, Harper had a lot of it.

Void felt stronger than ever before as his eyes rolled back into his head, his slender fingers grasping on for every single thing he could get out of her.

He only pulled away when he heard footsteps echoing from the tunnel he had just been in. It didn't matter though, since taking from an Empath was basically like taking from all of Beacon Hills, just in one go.

He was ready.

"See you soon," he whispered against her ear before suddenly he was gone.

Gasping for a breath, Harper whirled around just as three pairs of hands wrapped around the gate she had just come from, shaking at it. Scott, Stiles and Lydia stood there, relieved looks on their faces as they saw the girl in one piece. For the past day or so all they had been doing was agonising over their best friend, their Harper.

"Harper," Stiles cried as Scott managed to get the door open.

He rushed through, his arms immediately pulling her towards him. Harper took comfort in the way he felt against her, inhaling his scent and not knowing it would be the last time she did so.

"Who else is here?" She cried as she pulled away.

Scott looked at her, panicked, "Allison, Isaac and Kira. Why?"

"It's not safe," Harper shook her head, tears starting to finally fall. 'He's more powerful than ever, and now the Oni belong to him. It was all a trick, he wanted everyone in one place!"

"Quick," Scott gulped, taking off in the direction that they came in.

Lydia, followed by Harper, followed by Stiles, ran close behind the alpha, desperate to reach their friends to get everybody out. Suddenly Stiles began to stumble from the back, his hands skimming the walls as he cried out his Harper's name.

"Harper," he wheezed, bending over. "Harper, I can't-"

The brunette whirled back around, taking him under her arm as she whispered sweet nothings to him, trying to ignore the panic that she felt. The overwhelming anxiety that something was about to go wrong. She held Stiles' face in her hands.

"No, no, no," she muttered, gently tapping his cheek. "Stiles, come on."

A bad feeling took over in her stomach. She knew something was going to go wrong; her Empathic instincts kicking in. She leaned down and kissed Stiles' forehead, making his hazel eyes flicker up to her brown ones.

"I- I'm sorry, Stiles," Harper whispered, feeling tears drop.

Stiles looked at her in disbelief, his hand reaching to weakly grab her before she could take off, but Harper was already running down the hall. He whimpered, crying her name softly. 

"Allison!" Harper yelled at the same time as Lydia screamed, "Harper!"

The Banshee's wail echoed everywhere as Harper dove in front of the huntress, one of the Oni's swords driving straight through her stomach. Time seemed to literally pause as the dark spirit pulled the blade back, leaving a gaping hole in the centre of Harper's body. The small brunette looked down, gasping at the sensation and immediately watching as her hands started to coat with blood.

"No," Scott breathed, darting forwards before the Empath could fall to the ground.

He caught her, guiding her body down onto his lap and releasing a dry sob. "No, no, no, no. Harper, please. Don't do this to me. Don't do this to us."

Harper felt blood stain her lips as she held onto Scott's hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Scotty. You were the bestest friend. I-I'm so lucky."

Scott shook his head, watching his teardrops fall onto her cold skin. "Harper-"

"It's okay," Harper managed a small smile as she felt the energy drain from her body. "C-Can you tell-" As she began to grow breathless, Harper felt herself start to panic, her last words coming out rushed and pained. "You have to- Tell Stiles- Tell him-"

Scott McCall knew Harper Verum was gone immediately, her hand falling limp in his, and Stiles Stilinski dropped to his knees from where he had weakly staggered into the courtyard, a pained yell ripping past his lips and a sob echoing throughout the entire place.

She never got to say it back.


	5. Chapter 5

CHARACTERS: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski + entire pack!

SET IN: canon future (age 30)

SUMMARY: Harper and Stiles tell the pack that they're expecting their first baby (or members find out themselves) PART TWO OF 'FIRST PREGNANCY'.

REQUESTED? yep (too many to tag but tysm!!) also this was rewritten 3 times so sorry its late and kinda ass

NOT PROOF READ

"Do I look alright?" 

"Do I look alright?"

Stiles glanced over at his wife, raising his eyebrows and blinking at her.

"Are you really asking me that right now?" He questioned with a small grin, large hands moving to wrap around her and pull her closer, making her giggle. "No way are you asking me if you look 'alright.'"

Harper shrugged with a timid smile, peering up into his eyes while her hand rested on his shoulders. The white summer dress she wore looked stunning against her skin which was tan from working in the garden for the past couple of weekends. Her dark hair was in loose waves down her body, her makeup done naturally yet professional-like.

Stiles knew he had never seen a woman so beautiful.

"You look gorgeous, baby," Stiles promised, leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to her cherry-tinted lips. "So, so pretty."

Before Harper could respond to his gentle murmurs, the door to the McCall household finally swung open, revealing Allison Argent-McCall. Her pale skin glowed as she grinned at them all, one hand on her bulging stomach and the other resting on the door frame.

"Hi, guys," Allison greeted them both.

"Happy birthday!" Harper and Stiles cheered in unison as Harper held up the birthday present they'd bought her. "The big three-one," Harper hugged her.

Allison rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Thirty-one isn't a big deal. I have no clue why Scott insisted on having a party for it."

Stiles hugged their friend too before suddenly Scott was bounding towards the door. "Harper! Stiles!" He practically pounced on them, taking them both into a massive hug as Harper laughed.

"Hey, careful, careful." Stiles gently peeled Harper away, making Scott shoot him a look of confusion. "Just... Don't want anyone accidentally getting elbowed, huh?"

Harper rolled her eyes at Stiles' attempt to play off his protective instincts. They'd only found out they were pregnant just over a week ago and Stiles was already trying to make sure she was careful, going as far as to scold her when she stood on a chair to grab something down from the top shelf.

"Hey, hey, hey." Harper heard him before she saw him, Stiles' hushed voice filling her ears as he came jogging over, holding his hands out.

The brunette glanced down with raised brows, seeing his face scrunched up in concern. "Stiles, I'm fine."

"Okay, but I'll get it for you. I don't know why you didn't just ask," Stiles insisted, his hands reaching to pull her off the chair by the waist.

Harper released an amused scoff and folded her arms across her chest, watching Stiles reach up on his toes and grab the jar that Harper had been attempting to grab for the past two minutes. He held it in her direction but Harper made no attempts to grab it.

"Well, you gotta open it now," Harper shrugged. "That part I was gonna come get you for."

Her husband sent her a look before he unscrewed the tight lid and handed it to her, kissing the top of her head.

"Well, come in, guys. Everybody else is here." Allison moved aside and allowed the couple to enter, Stiles' hand reaching for Harper's.

They walked through the house next to Scott who was talking their ear off about something that had happened at the animal shelter during work last week, as if they hadn't seen him only five days ago. The True Alpha led them out to the back garden where they were having a barbecue, the rest of the pack and their significant others and children sat around or running across the grass.

"Auntie Hawper!"

Harper whirled around at the sweet squeal, her heart nearly melting when Scott and Allison's first-born came bounding over. The four-year-old was a spitting image of Scott when he was a toddler, except his skin was a bit paler, due to Allison's genes, of course. He was the cutest child Harper had ever met, and to make matters better, he adored her right back.

"Lucas!" Harper cheered back, bending down onto her knees as he came running over.

She dropped her bag down on the patio to let him hug her, his tiny hands grabbing onto the summer dress she wore. Harper adjusted the denim bucket hat he was wearing, pointing at the stitching on top.

"Wow! What's that?" Harper asked, "Is that a bee on your hat?"

"No!" Lucas giggled, shaking his head. "It's a bumblebee!"

"Oh my gosh, a bumblebee," the woman played along, "What noise does a bumblebee make again?"

"Bzzzz," Lucas created the low humming sound under his breath and extended his arms to mimic wings before he took off down the garden, running over to Derek's kids who were only a year or two older, the three of them starting to pretend to be bees.

"You've set them off," Stiles smiled at her, his hazel eyes shining with adoration.

Seeing Harper with kids always made his heart go mush, especially considering how much they seemed to love the Empath, but knowing that they would have one of their own in eight months just made it more exciting. He wished he could scoop her up right now and press kisses to her face and stomach and scream to the world how excited he was to have their own little them, finally, like the rest of their friends.

"Whoops," Harper shrugged with a bright beam as she stood up, letting Stiles wrap his arm across her shoulders, press a kiss to the side of her head, and lead them towards the others.

"Hi, dad," Stiles greeted Sheriff Stilinski, the pair of them sitting down near him.

"Hi, guys," Noah greeted back before the father and son started to talk about some sort of investigation that was going on.

Harper quickly zoned out, her eyes casting over to the girls who were sitting together. She bounded up from her seat and moved over, chucking her arms around Lydia's waist and squeezing her lightly.

"Issa me," Harper greeted with her best Mario impression, making Lydia roll her eyes but smile at the childish woman.

"Hi, Harper," the Banshee sighed as she peeled her arms away and stood in the circle. "Listen, you gotta try this wine that Kira brought over. It tastes so good."

Before Harper could stop her, Lydia was already pouring her a glass as Kira smiled gently at the brunette. Lydia handed her the glass and Harper shook her head.

"Um... I'm driving back, so I don't think I should," Harper excused herself.

"Just a sip," Kira insisted.

"Maybe not," a voice came from behind her and Stiles had flung his arm back around his wife. "Babe, Derek already grabbed you a can of coke from the cooler, like you asked."

Harper nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah, thanks. Sorry, guys."

Stiles led her over to Derek, Braeden, Liam, Isaac, and Theo, also where the cooler was. He opened it up and found it filled to the brim with ice, beer cans, and cans of Coca Cola. He grabbed one for the brunette and handed it to her, taking one for himself too so that she didn't feel left out.

"Hi, guys," Harper smiled at them all, cracking the can open.

"Has Paige spotted you yet?" Derek asked, craning his neck past Stiles to try and spot his eldest daughter who he could hear laughing somewhere in the garden. "She's been begging to see the two of you all day."

"Not yet," Stiles replied.

Harper and Stiles quickly got all their greetings out of the way, saying hi to Melissa, Chris, Jackson, Ethan, Mason, Corey, and even Peter who had turned up. Scott really had called all of their friends over, the sounds of kids screeching by the climbing frame he'd built growing louder every now and then as the adults chilled by themselves.

"Uncle Stiles, please can you help me," a small voice called from next to Harper and Stiles where they sat in their garden chairs a few hours later.

Stiles peered over at Lucas. "What can I help you with, little man?"

"Naomi said she won't be my girlfriend," Lucas referred to Derek's youngest daughter with a kicked-puppy expression written all over his face. "She said I'm just her friend."

Stiles had to fight back the amused smile as he grabbed Lucas and sat him down on Stiles' knees to face him. "Friendzoned at four, huh?"

Harper smacked him lightly as Lucas tilted his head. "What's friendzoned?"

"It means Naomi values your friendship." Harper reached out and tilted his bucket hat again. "And she loves you like a friend."

"You don't need a girlfriend right now," Stiles shook his head. "Besides, if you really love her, be there for her and maybe one day she'll feel a little different."

Harper's lips parted as she turned to look at her husband's side profile, watching as he tried to make Lucas smile again, tickling under his chin and up and down his shirt. Her heart pounded in her chest and she knew there and then that he was going to be the best father ever; even if he was still nervous about the whole situation.

"You two will make good parents," Derek said as he sat down beside them both, making the pair jump.

"We're not parents," Harper blurted.

"Definitely not," Stiles added quickly.

Derek raised his brows. "I didn't say that..." He stared at the pair for a moment or two before picking up their chemosignals, a small smirk crossing his face. "But you're going to be, huh?"

Stiles and Harper both looked at each other and Stiles groaned, smacking his hand against his head. "I can't believe Sour freaking Wolf is the first to find out."

"Don't tell anyone," Harper spoke gently. "We were gonna tell Stiles' dad first."

Derek raised his fingers to his lips and mimicked zipping them. "Congrats. But, just so you know, you've got maybe a week before it's heartbeat is loud enough without a werewolf straining to hear it."

Harper's mouth fell open and she felt her eyes water, Stiles looking at him in shock too. "Y-You can hear their heartbeat?" She whispered, her hand moving to her stomach.

Derek nodded. "If I focus on it. I'm just letting you know before big mouth over there goes and ruins it." He jerked his head in the direction of Scott who was desperately trying to entertain the kids, pretending to run from his son.

The older werewolf left them alone and Harper grabbed Stiles' hand, pulling him away from the circle that they were sat in. They moved closer to the house, shivering as the sun started to set and the evening's cool air made itself known to their exposed skin.

"I think we should tell your dad tonight," Harper whispered, casting her eyes over to the man who was laughing with Melissa, Chris, and Peter. "Before somebody else works it out. This is the first time we've seen anyone since we found out and Derek's already worked it out."

Stiles' tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip and he nodded. "Yeah, yeah. You're right. We should tell him right now."

Harper took a deep breath and Stiles moved to go and get his dad. She wasn't sure why the pair of thirty-year-olds were so nervous. After all, everybody had been asking when they were going to have kids, especially Noah. He always expressed how excited he was to have a grandchild, insisting he would spoil them and take them out all the time.

"This wasn't exactly how we planned on telling you, dad, but we wanted you to be the first to know," Stiles looked at his dad.

Noah's eyes immediately flickered over to Harper. "You're pregnant."

The brunette's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Oh my god, you're pregnant?" Sheriff Stilinski exhaled loudly when he realised he'd guessed correctly, his hand moving to his heart and his blue eyes filling with tears. "The two of you are having a baby?"

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, dad. Harper's pregnant."

"Oh my god," Sheriff Stilinski repeated, throwing his arms around the girl and squeezing her gently, making her giggle. "Come here," he spoke to Stiles, grabbing his son next. "I'm so damn proud of you, son. So proud."

The hazel-eyed man smiled gently. "Thanks, dad."

"How far along are you?"

"About five weeks, we think. We have a doctor's appointment scheduled in the morning, actually."

The grandfather-to-be asked a few more questions, the three of them trying to keep it down to avoid nosey ears snooping in on their conversation.

...

"Allison, baby, sit down," Scott scolded from where his wife had entered the room with a tray of drinks in her hands. "Doctor said no heavy lifting."

"It's not exactly that heavy, Scott," Allison chuckled and shook her head.

Stiles and Harper watched as Scott grabbed the tray from her and put it down on the coffee table, one his palms moving to rest on her back as he guided her down onto the couch opposite the other couple.

Lucas sat on the carpet in front of them playing with some toys, making small sound effects with his mouth cutely. Harper watched him with a fond smile until she felt Stiles' hand land on her knee, causing her to look up.

"Harps and I have something to tell you both." Stiles gave her a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

Scott furrowed his brows in confusion. "You're not splitting up, are you?"

Stiles' face scrunched up at the werewolf's stupidity. "Wha— what the hell, Scott? Does it look like we're splitting up?" He sounded offended by the idea and Harper squeezed his hand.

"No, we have something a bit nicer than that to tell you," Harper spoke.

Scott and Allison gave her expectant looks, waiting for them to continue.

"Let's just say baby number two is gonna have a best friend," Stiles let the grin cover his face.

While the brunette woman immediately understood, an excited gasp ripping past her rosy lips, Scott sat there deep in thought for a moment or two, his brows tugged down into a frown. Allison grabbed his arm and made him look at her. 

"Harper's pregnant!" Allison squealed.

"What!?" Scott yelled suddenly, standing up with wide eyes as he looked at his two best friends. "Are you pregnant?"

Harper nodded with a smile, a laugh escaping her as Scott grabbed her into a tight hug before he moved onto Stiles, then a very brief group hug.

"No way," Scott kept repeating. "Wha— how far along are you?"

"Nearly six weeks," Harper told him. "We figured we'd tell you now before you heard their heartbeat."

Scott released a shaky breath and turned his head away from them for a moment. Harper laughed and Stiles awed, grabbing Scott's and making him look at them.

"Dude, you're tearing up!" Stiles chuckled.

"Of course I am. My best friends are having a child and I am going to be an uncle," Scott exclaimed before he kneeled on the carpet in front of them and extended his hand. "Can I?"

Harper nodded. While she and Stiles couldn't hear or feel anything, as a werewolf, Scott's senses were a lot more sensitive. As he placed his hand on her stomach which wasn't bulging yet, he let a grin cross his features.

"You hear it?" Stiles whispered in awe, making their best friend nod.

"Congratulations, guys," Allison stood from her seat and moved over, hugging Stiles first until Scott released Harper. "How freaky is it that our kids are going to be in the same grade? Did you plan to get pregnant?"

Harper shook her head. "No, we didn't plan it— but we're very pleased."

...

Harper's stomach clenched as she held onto the toilet, holding back another gag and dreading the next couple of seconds as all of her lunch started to come back up. Unfortunately, morning sickness wasn't just something that happened between seven and eleven, and Harper's six week symptoms were taking a hard toll.

"Oh god, Harper," Lydia winced from where she stood in the doorway. "Are you alright?"

The small brunette quickly nodded, reaching up to flush the chain and wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. She sat down on the floor so her back was leaning against the bathtub, her stomach making a growling noise which she prayed didn't mean she was going to be sick again.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that," Harper groaned, hating how weak her body felt.

"Here's a glass of water, babe," Lydia mumbled, sitting down next to her best friend and handing her the glass. "Are you sure you're okay? You just threw up out of nowhere."

"I guess now is probably the right time to tell you." Harper sipped the water before she glanced over to the strawberry blonde and shot her a smile. "I'm pregnant."

Harper watched the way Lydia's brows furrowed for a split second before she realised what the Empath had said. Lydia hugged Harper tight, being careful of the glass of water in between them. Excitement and joy radiated from Lydia.

"Congratulations, oh my god," Lydia gushed. "You and Stiles must be so excited."

"We are," Harper laughed with a small nod. "We only found out just over a week ago now, but we're excited. Stiles is already placing bets that it's gonna be a boy."

"What do you feel like it is?" She questioned.

The brunette placed her hand on her stomach and shrugged. "I'm not sure. We won't know for another twelve weeks or more anyway, and I don't mind what it is."

Lydia raised her brows. "Oh, come on, Harps. Everybody secretly knows what they want."

A guilty giggle escaped Harper's lips and she pressed her fingers to her mouth, trying to keep a straight face. "Nope. I have no preference."

"Yes, you do!" Lydia squealed. "Your laugh totally said otherwise. Come on, spill. I won't tell Stiles or whatever."

Harper shrugged again with a bashful smile. She glanced down at her intertwined fingers, knowing Lydia wasn't wrong. While she didn't care for the sex of her baby, Harper had to admit that she was leaning towards wanting a girl.

If their baby was anything like both Harper and Stiles when they were babies, then she would have beautiful golden hair that Harper would put in little space buns every morning, and then Harper would dress her in the cutest pinafores and admire the long lashes she would of inherit from Stiles. She'd hold her small hands and help her dance around their house, softly singing the 'Little Princess' theme song to her like Harper's mother always did with her.

"I kind of hope that it's a girl," Harper admitted shyly and Lydia smirked. "But I'd love a boy too. I don't mind."

"Their genes are going to be out of this world, whatever they are," the strawberry blonde shook her head. "Seriously. You're one of the most beautiful people I've ever met... And Stiles isn't ugly either."

Harper laughed and shoved her friend playfully. "Hey! Stiles is extremely good looking, thank you very much. Let's just hope that if it is a boy, he doesn't grow up with my baby face and lack of height."

...

"I'm so happy for the two of you." Melissa wiped her eyes.

"Thanks, Melissa," Harper smiled, leaning her head against Stiles' shoulder as they watched the woman with the slightly-greying hair reach across and grab some tissues.

"I don't wanna say I called it, but I always told both your moms that you two would end up together at some point," Melissa told Harper and Stiles. "And look at you now. Married and expecting!"

The pair of adults felt their hearts lurch a little at the mention of their deceased mothers. While it was exciting to introduce new life to their family and pack, there was also the undeniable sadness that came with not being able to share it with the women that had brought them into this world in the first place. Stiles would do anything to tell Claudia she was going to be a grandmother, and Harper would do the same with her mother.

"Well, we wanted to ask you something." Harper scratched her wrist nervously and Stiles moved to squeeze her knee, a comforting gesture that she relaxed into.

Melissa looked at them both curiously. "Go on."

"I get it if you don't want to be, but you've always been like a mum to me, Melissa. You took care of me for years, even before my grandma died, and you treated me just like you did Scott, your own flesh and blood," Harper spoke gently. "And growing up, i always valued the friendship I had with my grandmother and I don't want my child to miss out on that... So I was wondering if you'd be 'grandma'?"

The McCall woman immediately pressed her hand to her mouth, her brown eyes flooding with tears that tipped over and streamed down her tan cheeks. She nodded quickly, moving across the couch to pull Harper into her.

Harper laughed, feeling herself tear up as she held Melissa back.

"I would love nothing more."

...

"Um... Harper. Is there something you wanna tell us?"

The Empath's brown eyes slowly flickered open when she heard Isaac's voice above her. She squinted as the sunlight poured on her face, pulling her sunglasses down from her head to rest on her nose instead. Her adoptive brother stood there with his arms folded across his bare chest, only wearing swimming shorts from where the rest of the pack hung around Derek's pool.

Harper sighed. "Listen, Isaac. I meant to tell you sooner, but I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

Malia frowned from beside her husband. "You don't think that you being pregnant is a big deal?"

"Oh!" Harper chuckled wearily. "I thought we were talking about the fact that I ate the last piece of the meat feast pizza..." She watched Isaac's face contort into one of disbelief. "But I guess that now you know, I can blame it on pregnancy cravings?"

"So it's true?" Isaac sat down on the edge of her sunbed. "I'm not hearing things?"

Harper guessed that they'd both heard the second heartbeat echoing from Harper's body- a much fainter and smaller one, of course. Her hand instinctively moved to touch her stomach which still hadn't started to show any signs of pregnancy, considering she was so early in.

"Yeah," she smiled softly at her two friends. "Stiles and I haven't really been telling everyone yet, but I guess everybody's figuring it out themselves."

Malia's brown eyes widened and she looked at Harper's stomach. "Cool," she blurted.

"I'm gonna be the best uncle ever, I swear it," Isaac promised. "Wa- Wait. Does Scott already know?"

Harper nodded, hoping that Isaac wouldn't be offended that they told him first. It just made sense, considering the fact that Scott was both their best friends since elementary school and like an actual brother to both Harper and Stiles. Plus, when Allison found out she was pregnant the first time, he was so in shock he told them before his own mother.

"Wait- are you pregnant!?" A squeak came from nearby and Harper's head whirled around to see Liam stood there, obviously in shock from the news that he'd heard while he'd been eavesdropping.

Harper nodded. "I am."

"Congratulations," Liam breathed, coming over to give her a short hug as Theo followed, also bending down and wrapping his arms around the brunette.

"Congrats, Harper," the chimera smiled softly.

Stiles left Derek's kitchen with two cups of diet coke in his hands, the smile leaving his face when he saw the four supernaturals crowded around his wife. His first thought was that something bad had happened to her, until he heard the soft laugh escape her lips and he got closer, gently pushing past Isaac and Malia to see her sitting up on the sunbed, letting Liam touch her stomach.

"Congrats, dude," Isaac squeezed Stiles' shoulder with a beam.

He barely heard all of the congratulations he received from his friends, even Theo, as Stiles sat down next to his wife and handed her a drink with a smile. He was just so overwhelmed with happiness; glad that everybody finally knew that they were expecting a baby soon.

"Thanks, everyone," Stiles murmured, glancing up and pursing his lips at all of the attention that they were receiving.

"So is it gonna be 'mom' or 'mum'?" Derek asked teasingly, acting as if he wasn't the first person to find out.

Harper laughed. "Mum, of course."

"If I were you, I wouldn't let Stiles talk to it for the first few years at all. Make sure it has a little accent. So cute," Lydia joked.

Harper rolled her eyes with a small smile, but she couldn't help but wonder what their baby would be like. Perhaps it would end up pronouncing or spelling a few words like Harper, maybe more so when they're younger and more impressionable. Maybe they'd take after Stiles and have pale skin, or have Harper's tan tone.

"You're gonna have two Empaths in the house now, Stiles," Allison warned him. "You won't be able to tell a single lie."

"Great," Stiles laughed, his eyes not peeling from Harper's as they both grinned at each other, mutually understanding that their lives were going to be hectic- but they'd love it. 

...


	6. Chapter 6

characters; Harper, Stiles, everyone

set: non canon (between s4 and s5)

summary; harper downloads tiktok and likes it way more than she thought she would HEADCANON

requested? nope :) THIS IS SHIT BUT ITS REALLY LIGHT HEARTED AND MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT HEAD CANONS AND I FOUND IT RLLY HARD CAUSE ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS ADD DESCRIPTION—

requested? nope :) THIS IS SHIT BUT ITS REALLY LIGHT HEARTED AND MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT HEAD CANONS AND I FOUND IT RLLY HARD CAUSE ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS ADD DESCRIPTION—

\- i've never done a headcanon before

\- sorry if it sucks !!

\- also this concept is weird i just wanted to post

\- after dealing with the dead pool, there are no supernatural disasters for nearly six months and harper is b o r e d

\- especially when summer vacation starts

\- stiles, scott, and isaac are all obsessed with playing GTA at the mccall household

\- and harper doesn't understand why they think shooting people is so fun

\- they get annoyed when they finally let her play and she just drives around for fun

\- (obeying all of the laws of course)

\- malia doesn't really want to do anything harper wants to do, but most days she follows around like a lost puppy anyway because she doesn't understand video games either

\- lydia hosts a sleepover for the girls only at her lakehouse

\- kira is the one that shows them all tiktok

\- but like straight tiktok, y'know??

\- where they just dance or lipsync and stuff

\- no offence if you like that stuff

\- alt tiktok is just where it's at

\- #saveadam

\- and harper's like: "what the fuck is this shit??"

\- but she refuses to sleep until kira teaches her how to the renegade, and it turns out that harper is pretty good at catching onto dances quickly

\- and when kira, malia, and lydia fall asleep, harper downloads the app and scrolls through tiktok for hours

\- by 5am she's already made it to the alt side and she can't stop spamming the group chat with fairy comments, even if nobody else is awake to read them and they made no sense.

\- keep smiling 🧚🏽♀️💗 yellows my favorite color 💛🌸

\- sis you went off✨😍🌈next time make it off a bridge🧚🏼✨🙈

\- let's hang 🌙 🌿💫 ❤️🧚🏻logan paul style💞

\- this inspired me🧚♀️💖🌸to take my birth control🧚♀️🤚🏻✨❤️💖🌸💞💅🏻

\- and like 30 others

\- and everybody was just like "what the fuck harps????"

\- stiles called her when he woke up to make sure she wasn't high or something

\- "no, stiles! they're called fairy comments."

\- "what the fuck is a fairy comment? and why are you telling the pack to jump off bridges??"

\- everybody was annoyed at kira for a long time because harper never replied to texts seriously anymore

\- it was always just: chicken wing chicken wing hotdog and baloney chicken and macaroni chilling with my homies

\- and she always had songs stuck in her head- like always

\- it was only a matter of time before she made one herself, but stiles refused to be in one with her

\- "the app is literally for twelve-year-olds, harps."

\- "okay, well I have literally nothing better to do. please be in my Tik Tok."

\- "nope!"

\- so harper corners scott

\- and scott agrees!!

\- stiles glares at them as they do the 'polar opposite friends check' and make scott dress up like a freaking vampire or something

\- he feels bad for saying no to her because he can tell how much she's enjoying herself

\- but harper doesn't mind because their tiktok ends up getting a couple thousand of views

\- "scott! scotty! we're famous!"

\- melissa yells at them for being so loud at 5am but they're even more excited than when they found out scott was a fucking werewolf

\- "guys!! people are saying i look like a mix of selena gomez and kendall jenner!"

\- "i don't see it."

\- scott and harper make a couple more

\- none of them get over a hundred views

\- stiles just has to sigh and comfort harper when she's disappointed

\- but she makes more for fun anyway

\- cause she doesn't really care about blowing up

\- she decides to hop on the 'it all started when my mom met my dad and then they fell in love and they had me...' trend since it was pretty popular

\- and she did it with selena and kendall of course

\- she went to sleep and woke up to the group chat blowing up

\- isaac: HARPER CHECK UR TIKTOK

\- lydia: GIRL UR TIKTOK FAMOUS OMG

\- kira: i am so jealous rn omggg

\- and harper nearly had a heart attack when she realised she had over a million views on her half-assed tik too

\- she literally s c r e e c h e d

\- she called stiles first of course

\- "baby, that's amazing."

\- he's half asleep and has no idea whats going on

\- but when he properly wakes up a few minutes later he realises his girlfriend literally has over a million views on a video

\- and basically all of the comments are thirsting for her

\- 'HOW ARE YOU SUCH A PERFECT COMBINATION OF SELENA AND KENDALL??'

\- 'she's literally so pretty omg'

\- And stiles sees the boys' comments but he pretends he doesn't

\- 'i would simp so hard for this chick'

\- 'the perfect girl doesn't exi-'

\- and he's happy for her-- he really is--- but

\- stiles being stiles

\- feels insecure

\- harper catches on pretty quickly but doesn't mention it because she doesn't want to embarrass him

\- so she decides to show him off too

\- "bubba, would you kiss me for a hundred dollars or the prettiest girl you know for eight hundred dollars?"

\- stiles doesn't even know she's filming from where they're laying on his bed one late afternoon

\- "prettiest girl i know for eight hundred dollars."

\- "oh really??"

\- she was kinda hoping to catch him out

\- but was also very pleased when he gave the answer every girl wanted to hear

" yeah, you are the prettiest girl i know so I'd get nine hundred dollars."

\- and harper awes loudly and lifts the camera to his face

\- stiles bats it away and flushes in embarrassment

\- "babe!"

\- but when that video blows up too, girls are simping for the both of them now

\- "is your boyfriend single???'

\- 'THATS SO CUTEEE'

\- suddenly stiles feels a lot better

\- "sti, let's make a tik tok!"

\- "okay!"

\- he agrees with barely any hesitation now

\- scott's pretty jealous but he'll happily be the camera guy if they need him

\- when she makes vids with the pack they always got comments like

\- "how are one group of friends all so attractive???'

\- and 'why does nobody at my school like that'

\- https://vm.tiktok.com/KmtD1H/

\- ^^ that is so one of harper's tiktoks with stiles

\- a lot of them are done when he doesn't even know he's being filmed

\- and everyone adores how much he loves her

\- alot of her tik toks are about harry styles

\- maybe too many

\- or about how she would simp for rodrick heffley

\- or self-deprecating jokes about being an orphan

\- people love those

\- not her friends

\- and you bet she jumped on the tiger king trend

\- basically any trend that required little effort

\- and meant she wasn't taken too seriously

\- and harper makes the whole pack do this trend https://vm.tiktok.com/Ku84hb/

\- where it goes like:

\- "hey, scott, is it true you have a beastiality kink?"

\- "hell yeah!! dude, I heard you..."

\- scott's FUMING

\- but people find it hilarious

\- even if they don't understand some of the supernatural references they put in

\- "sti, please can you crack my back for me?"

\- scott secretly recording as stiles agrees

\- harper sneaks the pasta in her mouth and bites down when he cracks her back

\- "oh my god, babe! harper?? harps? are you okay??"

\- stiles is angry for a long time after when scott and harper burst out laughing

\- so she makes it up to him with cuddles and kisses

\- eventually their senior year rolls around

-and harper posts less and less as the supernatural problems start to rise again

\- i didn't like this

\- oh well


	7. Chapter 7

CHARACTERS: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski, Void Stiles

SET IN: CANON (SEASON 3B)

SUMMARY: some of what stiles was thinking when he was in void's head, watching him talk to harper.

Requested? No. Tbh i wrote this in half an hour just because i was bored and I'm in such a void stiles mood! i might do an au w/ void x harper but idk if anybody would actually want that??

also not proof read

also not proof read

Anything. Anything would be better than this. Stiles was convinced that this was most likely the worst torture possible, his eyes clenched shut and his head thrown back as he released ugly sobs. He was well aware of the salty tears streaming down his cheeks and trickling down his neck, but he couldn't brush them away-- his hands were strapped down to the chair beneath him.

Stiles. Do you want her to leave here alive? Do you want us to leave? We can walk out of this place.

Stiles tried to ignore the voice in his head. It pounded at his skull and echoed in his brain as he whipped his head to the side, watching helplessly as Oliver tied the straps around Harper's wrists even tighter. Her body was limp in the chair, her brown eyes still closed and her breaths small and even. He hated the way Oliver skimmed her soft skin as if he couldn't wait to hurt her.

He began to sob louder. "Please. Just- Just let Harper go. Please!"

The Nogitsune appeared right in front of his face, a mess of bandages and razor-sharp teeth as he screamed, "Let me in!"

"Let her go!" Stiles made it his mission to scream even louder, the veins in his arms and neck standing out as he lurched forward.

He would have attacked the supernatural demon if he had the chance-- if this wasn't all in his head and his hands were free.

Let me in, Stiles. Let me in.

Stiles knew what it was like to have the Nogitsune take over his body. The lack of control had been terrifying, especially when his friends had thought nothing was wrong with him. The words that came out of his mouth sounded exactly like him, but they weren't his.

The hands touching Harper weren't his.

He watched from his own eyes as he tried to get the door to the animal clinic open. Stiles had to give it to Void- he was a good actor. He did the whole fumbling thing with the keys, made sure to look over his shoulder until Harper yelled at him to hurry up as the rain lashed down on top of them. But Stiles couldn't feel the rain.

"Don't," Stiles pleaded quietly, desperately when he realised that Void had been left alone with Harper for the first time. "Please. Don't do anything to her. Not her."

He could feel Void's smirk, hear his sadistic chuckle as Void watched Harper take off the denim jacket from her body. It was sopping wet, the material making a weird noise as she put it on one of the counters. Stiles suddenly hated how much smaller Harper was to him-- he was sure Void was enjoying it. She seemed like the perfect prey.

"Scott didn't listen, did he, little dove?" Void questioned and Stiles clenched his eyes shut, crying out for him to shut up.

He watched as his girlfriend froze. Stiles' hazel eyes filled with tears, knowing exactly how terrified she must be. Stiles had hoped that Harper would have been able to convince Scott of her theory that he wasn't exactly back to normal-- but she hadn't been able to convince him. Stiles mentally cursed Scott.

"Don't," Stiles pleaded again.

"Turn around when we're talking to you, Harper," Void's words floated from Stiles' lips. "Come on, Harps. Stiles wants you to turn around too."

"No!" Stiles was hitting the glass that he seemed to be in, thrashing around as he kicked and punched and spat with everything he had inside him-- desperate to break free. "Stop! Don't- Don't fucking touch her, you bastard!"

Stiles sobbed when he saw the look on Harper's face as she turned around to hesitantly face Void. The look of fear she held when she looked into his eyes was enough to break him and his heart. He wished he could just snap out of it.

"Good girl," Void muttered, extending his hand to stroke Harper's cheek and smirking when he heard Stiles' yells of protest intensify. "You're so beautiful, Harper. Inside and out." His thumb skimmed her trembling lips.

"Stop!" Stiles kept repeating the same words, feeling utterly useless. "Don't- leave her alone. Leave Harper alone."

"It's a shame the pack never appreciated your abilities."

The hazel-eyed boy felt his throat nearly close up when his gaze flickered back to Harper. Oliver was moving the hair out of her face delicately, like he actually cared for her, preparing to switch the drill on in his other hand. Stiles moved to plead again, but he noticed the way Harper's eyeballs moved beneath her lids, and suddenly they were flickering open.

He saw the way she tried to process what was going on, but the drugs still had control over her body. Oliver had used a lot on her small frame, her eyes still heavy and threatening to shut again.

"Just let her go, please!" Stiles pleaded again, his tone the epitome of desperation and his throat nearly ripping raw as he threw his head back, struggling against the restraints keeping him hostage.

Oliver started up the drill, adding to Stiles' frantic yells. He could hear the faint murmurs of Harper, her small pleads for the Eichen patient to stop what he was doing and let them both go, but breathy sighs followed. Stiles knew she was far too gone.

Let me in, Stiles. Let. Me. In.

Let me in and I will let her live.

When Stiles said that anything would be better than this, he meant it. He knew that if letting the demon inside his body meant Harper was going to be fine, then he would do it. He would suffer the consequences of nightmares for the rest of his life and the darkness that would forever own a piece of his heart. Stiles would do it a hundred times over if it meant keeping Harper safe.

He threw his head back again, grunts escaping his lips as he fought with the barrier in his mind to let the Nogitsune in. His heart ached as he heard Harper's whimpers intensify, and he knew she was scared.

Not as scared as he was.

"Stiles, no," he heard her cracked whisper.

He dared to make eye contact with her for a second before he tore his gaze away, shaking his head. "I'm trying!" Stiles cried at the demon. "I'm trying!"

Try harder.

Something in his brain snapped and Stiles suddenly felt like he was being flipped upside down over and over again. It was the same sensation when the rollercoaster flipped you for the twentieth time in thirty seconds-- the feeling of complete powerlessness as your body was forced to submit to whatever happened next.

Stiles was in his own head, forced to watch as Harper became Void's latest fascination.


	8. Chapter 8

CHARACTERS: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall

SET IN: Canon (age 27)

SUMMARY: Harper convinces Stiles to get a dog and he's pretty sure she loves the new addition to their family more than him

REQUESTED? Yup!! aamcqueeny ALEX THIS IS FOR YOUUUU (i had to HUNT for ur user 'cause you keep changing it lmaoo)

not proof read

"A dog?"

Despite how confused Stiles looked, Harper maintained her angelic-like smile, nodding innocently as she finished buttering the toast that she had made for them both. Their small home was already awake at merely eight in the morning, the engaged couple out of bed and in the kitchen, ready to start their weekend together.

"Yes, Stiles. A dog," Harper confirmed, lifting a piece of toast to her mouth and handing him the other.

Stiles accepted it without even looking or thinking about it, his hazel eyes not looking from hers. They were squinted slightly as if trying to catch her out.

"Since when have you wanted a dog?" Stiles questioned. "Why do we need a dog?"

Harper shrugged. "They're cute."

"You can't get an animal because you think they're cute, Harper," Stiles sighed, taking a seat on the stool by the breakfast bar. "Dogs... they're not like fish or whatever. They're like having kids... they last, like, what? Fifteen years?"

"Oh, come on, Sti," his fiancee pleaded with him, her brown eyes shining wide as she moved closer. "I know a dog is a huge commitment, but I think we could handle one. I mean, all our friends are having babies now... do you really think we're not ready for a pet?"

Stiles' face screwed up and he dropped the remaining part of his toast down onto his plate, cocking his head to the side.

"That's not what I meant," he huffed before his whisky eyes widened a little. "Wait... do you want kids?"

Harper shot him a weird look. "No!" She exclaimed. "No, not right now. All I'm saying is that Scott just had a kid and we haven't even had our first pet together-- and we've been together since we were bloody sixteen! Minus the incident, obviously."

The incident-- also known as the three years they were apart-- was something the pair liked to ignore. While it did help them grow and shape them into the adults they were today by being apart, they hadn't been the best years. It was honestly just better that they pretend they never happened and that they had always been fine.

Stiles scratched at the stubble appearing across his jaw. "I don't know, Harps... This is just really out of the blue, baby," he spoke softer than before. "We should really talk about this before we rush into it, you know?"

"We can talk," Harper nodded eagerly, sitting on the other side of the breakfast bar and clasping her hands in front of her. "I can tell you all the psychological benefits of having a dog, or the best breeds for allergies-- 'cause I know they make you sneeze sometimes-- or I did make a ten slide PowerPoint on all of the reasons I would be a good dog mum."

The Stilinski man was stunned, his hazel eyes unblinking as he took in the sight of her, his fingers pausing from where they had started to reach for his breakfast.

"And when did you do all of this?"

"I made the PowerPoint during my lunch break yesterday," Harper shrugged. "You wanna see it?"

"I-" Stiles saw the expression on her face and his shoulders sagged in defeat, a sigh escaping his lips. "Go on then. Show me."

A small squeal escaped Harper's lips as she reached across the counter and grabbed her laptop. Her brown eyes lit up as she scanned through all of her files, trying to find the one that she had spent an hour on yesterday. Stiles finished off his toast and watched her as she flipped the screen around, revealing her title.

It was a collage of lots of puppies and in the middle, in capital letters, it said 'ALL THE REASONS I WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD DOG MUM.'

Stiles didn't bother to hold back the snort, leaning forward as he watched Harper. The brunette kept a straight face as she clicked a button, revealing the next slide. There was a poorly cropped picture of her seventeen-year-old self with Archie in her arms. He was a really old cat at this point, his ginger fur not as vibrant as Stiles recalled it to be.

"'I was a very good cat mum'," Harper read from the slide, slightly monotone. "'I had the same cat from the age of four until I was nineteen, which is proof I am capable of keeping an animal alive for a standard amount of time. Also, Archie loved me very much.'"

Stiles nodded. "He sure did, babe."

Her fiance listened to all nine of her other slides, smiling and laughing and asking questions in all of the right places. The last slide was a picture of Harper and Stiles from a year or two ago, and Harper and put a stock photo of a random labrador by their feet.

"'How cute?"' She read again. "'Stiles plus Harper equals good family. Stiles plus Harper plus cute dog equals very good family. Please say yes to getting a dog.'"

Stiles clapped at the end, making Harper beam. "Thank you," she did a small bow. "Thank you very much, sir. What did you think of my presentation?"

"It was amazing," Stiles promised her. "You have me convinced."

Harper gasped. "Really? Stiles, don't play with me. I will cry and then leave you."

"I'm being serious!" He laughed, standing up to wrap his arms around her small frame. "You've clearly done your research and I'm not against a dog."

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Harper started to press kisses against any skin she could access, making the brunet chuckle and try and hide his face against her neck.

...

A couple of weeks later, after some research and actual adult discussion, Stiles and Harper had decided they were ready to get a dog. Stiles thought it would all be worth it to see the smile on his fiancee's face. Even now, as they climbed out of the jeep to head into the pet store, Harper was practically bouncing on her heels like a small child, her brown eyes bright and dreamy.

"Look at that one!" Harper pointed at the hundredth dog, forcing Stiles to turn and face what looked like a Beagle behind glass. "Look at his wittle ears!" She did a baby voice as she got closer, making the puppy wag its tail excitedly.

Stiles didn't think there was a single dog in the store that Harper hadn't made a fuss over yet. They all seemed to love the Empath, and Stiles thought maybe it could have something to do with her supernatural abilities. People tended to unconsciously draw to her and feel safe, perhaps animals did the same thing.

"Do you wanna pet her?" One of the workers asked, chuckling as Harper nodded quickly. "Are the two of you looking to buy today or just wanting to look?"

"We're looking for a dog," Stiles nodded, not peeling his eyes off of his fiancee who had dropped to the ground, letting the animal run into her arms as she laughed, scratching it playfully.

"Right. Will this girl is about eight hundred dollars," the woman said, bending down to stroke her fur with Harper, not noticing the way that the married couple both shot each other uneasy looks. "She's pretty playful, but I must warn you-- she does not stop barking."

"Are all the dogs around that price range?" Harper asked nervously.

"At this store they are," the worker nodded, and she realised that this was a problem. "If you aren't looking to spend as much money, I might suggest you adopt one, although there are of course implications with that when it comes to house training them and such."

Adopting hadn't been a factor that Harper had considered, but now that it had been mentioned, she found herself curious at the idea. With the wedding coming up in the next few months, Stiles and Harper didn't have nearly a grand to be spending on puppies-- they knew it would cost even more to get it chipped and whatnot, even if Scott could give them a good discount at the animal clinic.

"Thanks for the advice," Stiles nodded, hoping Harper wouldn't be too disappointed that they weren't going to be getting a dog today like they thought.

The brunette stood up as the woman put the dog back into its little play area and turned to face Stiles with a small pout on her lips. He reached forward, grabbing her smaller hand in his and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Come on," Stiles murmured. "I think I know what might cheer you up."

...

Harper had passed out on the couch after the couple spent the evening watching films and eating ice cream. She looked as relaxed as ever, her tan skin void from any makeup as small breaths escaped her rosy lips. Stiles watched her as he bent down and grabbed the tub of ice cream off of the coffee table, heading towards the bin in the kitchen with it.

"She was really disappointed, dude," Stiles sighed quietly to Scott, throwing the rubbish away. "She said it was fine, but I could tell she was upset."

"That sucks, man," Scott's voice came from the other side. "But Harper's an optimist-- she'll be fine in the morning."

"She really wants a dog, Scott," the Stilinski man shook his head. "It's all she'd been talking about. Maybe I should just buy the Beagle she liked, but 'cause of the wedding and honeymoon and stuff--"

"Hey, listen, dude. You wanna adopt? Come down to the animal clinic. Deaton recently took in an abandoned puppy, can't be older than six months. He was gonna take it to a shelter in a few days."

Stiles thought for a moment. That didn't sound like a bad idea.

...

Harper's nose scrunched up when she felt something tickling it. She felt herself shift out of total unconsciousness and she huffed a little, moving to swat it away but feeling nothing but air. Just as she was about to fall back asleep, she felt something wet on her cheek and she gasped, her eyes snapping open.

"Stiles, did you lick-" Harper froze, her heart nearly stopping in her chest when she came face to face with a ball of white fur with two black eyes and a black nose. "Oh my god."

She heard her fiance chuckle from somewhere in the room, but Harper didn't even pay attention to Stiles, her eyes nearly melting as she immediately reached out and picked the dog up. It bounced in her arms, gently clawing to try and her to pay more attention. Harper was in shock, a giggle leaving her lips as she scratched the dog's back gently.

"You like him?" Stiles asked softly.

Harper's eyes snapped up to face him. "You didn't."

"I did," Stiles shrugged playfully, sitting on the edge of the couch and scratching the dog too. "What do you wanna name him Harps? 'Cause he's all yours."

"No," Harper choked, feeling the tears well in her eyes as she shook her head at him. "No, Stiles. Oh my god."

Stiles was taken aback, his eyes widening a little. He had expected her to be happy, but not happy enough to cry. The tears wouldn't stop streaming down Harper's face, her body clearly overwhelmed, as she held the dog close to her and sobbed, not even petting it but dampening its white fur with her salty tears.

"Harper," Stiles cooed, stroking her hair. "Bubba," he laughed. "Calm down. You're confusing him."

"I-I'm sorry!" Harper started to profusely apologise to the puppy. "Hello, puppy. I'm Harper, you're-- you're dog mum." Her voice broke and she cried again. "I can't help it."

Stiles laughed and grabbed her, taking her into a hug and being careful not to hurt the new addition to their small family.

"You know what I think?" He murmured. "I think Bolt would be cute."

"Bolt," Harper gasped, feeling her eyes well up with tears again. "Oh my god, that is so cute."

And as Harper started to cry another time, Stiles just held her tighter and smiled, glad that he could make her so happy.


	9. Chapter 9

CHARACTERS: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski

SET IN: non-canon (age 18)

SUMMARY: Stiles thinks everybody has forgotten his birthday and Harper can't handle the look on his face.

REQUESTED? Yep! @smile4mi -- i love this request sm.

not proof read

Birthdays-- Stiles loved them

Birthdays-- Stiles loved them. Whether it was his own or Scott's or Harper's, Stiles lived for celebrating them the best he could. Presents were a good way to express how much you love and appreciate someone, so he always got his best friends the best, most thoughtful gifts.

Scott always did the same, especially when Deaton upped his wages about a year ago. The werewolf loved to make his friends feel special on their birthdays, like when he ditched school with Allison on her seventeenth and they spent the entire day laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Harper was always the one that never let them feel sad on their birthdays. She loved to be the first one to say 'happy birthday' over a phone call or text message, and the cards she wrote always included the most detailed, beautiful messages. The kind of notes that made the cards impossible to throw away-- even if neither boy would admit to keeping hold of them after all the years that went by.

Point was, it didn't matter which member of the trio's birthday it was, the three of them always made a complete fuss out of it. A birthday lasted a whole weekend as far as the three of them were concerned, including trips to their favourite restaurants and hanging out the entire time.

So when Stiles woke up to no messages on his phone on the eighth of April, to say he was disappointed would be an understatement. The Stilinski boy had furrowed his brows, tugging the iPhone off its charger and checking his wifi was working fine, even clicking onto every group chat he had with his friends.

Nothing.

Had everybody forgotten?

Stiles tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest as he pushed his duvet off of his legs and wandered straight downstairs. Normally he would get ready for school straight away, but he always woke early on his birthday to have breakfast with his dad and open presents.

When he climbed down the stairs, Sheriff Stilinski stood there already dressed in his uniform and a cup of coffee in his hands. His blue eyes glanced over towards his son and he grinned, placing the mug down on the counter and advancing over.

"Happy birthday, son." Sheriff Stilinski hugged him tightly. "I can't believe you're already eighteen."

Stiles smiled, hugging his father back. "I know... I don't feel any different, though."

Noah chuckled. "Maybe opening some presents will make you feel older."

The Stilinski boy couldn't deny the excitement he gained looking at the poorly wrapped gifts sat on the kitchen table. While he may technically be an adult now, Stiles swore he would never get tired of opening presents.

His father had gotten him a few new plaid shirts, a couple of air fresheners for the jeep, a gift voucher for the burger place he liked in town, and a new video game. Stiles thanked his dad a hundred times over before they sat down and ate their toast with one another, and then it was time for his dad to leave.

Stiles changed into one of the shirts his dad had gifted him, putting over the top of a white tee and his khaki pants. Once he was ready to get to school, he checked his phone a few more times, finding nothing from his friends yet. He sighed and climbed into the jeep, heading to Beacon Hills High.

The teenage boy stood at his locker about twenty minutes later, replacing his math textbook with a history one, when hands wrapped around his torso. He tensed before he felt the familiar warmth of his girlfriend on his back as she swayed him a little. He grinned, turning around.

"Hey, baby." Stiles leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, brows raising in surprise when Harper's arms threw themselves around his neck and pulled him down further to deepen their kiss a little more.

"Hi," Harper smiled sweetly once they pulled back, her hand sliding down his shoulders and resting on his arm where she tugged at the material. "Is this new? I like it."

A frown found its way to Stiles' features, his heart dropping when he realised that Harper had forgotten- and on the most important birthday, too. He was finally eighteen and his own girlfriend didn't even remember.

"Yeah, I got it today for my-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Scott appeared from behind Harper, holding her shoulder and pulling her gently back. He smiled at Stiles.

"Hey, dude," Scott greeted briefly before he looked down at the teenage girl stood between them both. "Harps, we gotta study for the AP Bio test. You promised me."

Harper's smile faded a little and she glanced between Scott and Stiles before sighing with a nod. She waved goodbye to her boyfriend before she moved away with the werewolf. The Empath knew exactly how bad Stiles felt right now, and it made her feel awful.

"Scott, I think we should give the act up," Harper hissed quietly once they were out of hearing range. "He seems really disappointed."

"Harper, we are about to pull off the best surprise birthday party of the century. You are not giving in now," Scott warned her. "Listen, Stiles will be over the moon in about ten hours. You know the plan."

"Yeah, yeah." The brunette rolled her brown eyes. "I take Stiles out after school, pretend nothings up, take him to ours after, party, make it up to him."

"That's the spirit."

. . .

Stiles knew his birthday was going to be shit when the only people that remembered were his dad and fucking Greenburg. He slammed his locker door shut, wishing he could just go home and sleep the whole day away. He hoped that his friends woke up in the morning and realised that they'd forgotten and felt really bad- as bad as he did right now.

At lunch, Harper had barely even spoken to him. Sure, she'd sat glued to his side like she did every single lunch period, but her attention had been on Lydia and Malia the entire time, while Scott had been talking to Isaac, Liam, and Allison.

Quite frankly, as petty as it sounded, Stiles had nothing to say to any of them, so he kept his mouth shut and ate his crappy cafeteria pizza.

"Stiles, Stiles!" He heard Harper's voice call after him as he started to head towards the exit of the building, ready to finally go home. "Hey, Sti. Wait up!"

The Stilinski boy paused in his tracks, turning with a sigh. Harper appeared right next to him, her small hand reaching out to grab his.

"Hey, come on. Let's go to Benny's Burgers," Harper proposed. "My treat. You seemed kinda sad at lunch."

Stiles wanted to roll his eyes and snap exactly why he was so upset at lunch, but he took a deep breath and looked into Harper's eyes which were shining with nothing but good intention.

Stiles sighed loudly. "Okay," he murmured.

. . .

Stiles let Harper do most of the talking. As the hours passed in their small booth at the back of the quirky diner, he seemed to forget what day it was and how his friends had forgotten too, genuinely having a good time with his girlfriend. At least he wasn't completely by himself on his birthday.

The pair of teenagers walked side by side as they left the diner, their faces lit up only by the street lights circling the empty car park. It had been raining while they were inside, puddles dotted all about that were easy to miss in the darkness.

"It's a really good show, you have to watch it," Harper told him as she lifted the drink in her hands to her lips, taking a long swig. "I stayed up most of last night just binge-watching it. I was, like, dead when I woke up this morning."

"It doesn't sound very good." Stiles crinkled his nose up. "I mean, a treasure hunt? Wow, how pirate of them."

"Outer Banks isn't just about treasure." Harper rolled her eyes. "It's like this group of friends and they're trying to get gold, yeah, but it's, like, so much more than that."

Stiles hummed, lifting his own drink up and sipping some. As the silence fell upon the couple, the eighteen-year-old found himself frowning a little, memories of the day coming back. It was too late for him to remind his girlfriend now; he felt too awkward to say anything at this point. Besides, he knew she would feel awful and he didn't feel like watching her cry right now.

Harper must have sensed the shift in his mood because she reached around and wrapped her arm around his torso, leaning her head against him.

"Maybe you can come back to mine and we can watch it together?" The brunette suggested hopefully. "Just the first episode, if you want. I promise you'll love it."

Stiles thought for a few moments. He could either go back with Harper and watch Netflix or go home to his dad who had actually remembered his birthday. But then again, at this point he didn't even feel like celebrating-- today had felt like just a normal day to him.

"I don't know," Stiles mumbled.

Harper paused in front of the jeep, her mouth scrunched up as if she was having a debate inside her head. He saw how frustrated she looked, the way her foot tapped lightly on the concrete beneath her and her brown eyes darted around-- she was trying to come up with something to say.

"I can't do this anymore," Harper blurted, making Stiles frown in confusion.

"What?"

Harper jumped towards him, grabbing his large hands in her small ones. "Listen, please, please, please don't tell Scott and the others that I told you this, but I can't stand the look on your face anymore. We're planning a surprise party for you so Scott thought it would be a good idea that we pretend to forget but I have literally been able to feel how sad you are all day and it's been killing me--"

Stiles squeezed her hands, making her look at him. "You didn't forget?" He murmured, confused. 

"Of course not, bubba!" Harper threw her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, shaking her head. "We just wanted to give you a really good surprise for your eighteenth, but I couldn't keep it in anymore. I'm sorry."

The Stilinski boy breathed a sigh of relief, a small smile on his face as he leaned down, their foreheads touching as he pressed his lips to her nose briefly.

"Calm down, Harps. I won't tell them that you gave it away," Stiles promised her. "I'm just glad you guys didn't forget about me."

Harper looked at him sadly. "I could never. Happy birthday, Stiles."

Stiles grinned a little, pecking her lips this time. "Thank you, Harps."

"Listen, so the plan was for me to get you to come back to mine so that we could all jump out and scare you, so you have to act surprised, alright? They will literally kill me," the Empath spoke.

"Okay," he laughed. "I will play along."

"Thank you."

...

Harper swallowed nervously as she stuck the key into the front door of her house, twisting the lock. Her other hand was holding onto Stiles' as he stood behind her, grinning at the fact that Scott wasn't about to surprise him-- he already knew.

She peeled open the door and flicked the light on. On cue, members of the pack and others from their school all jumped out, releasing party poppers and cheering loudly.

"Surprise!"

Stiles pretended to jump back and hold his heart the best he could but felt a genuine grin rise on his face as his friends all started to circle him, wishing him a happy birthday. He was so glad that nobody had forgotten him like he thought, his arms nearly full with bags as people shoved presents into his hands.

They'd set up decorations everywhere, balloons pinned to all the lights and a table set up with all of Stiles' favourite snacks on top. Somebody started to play music through the speakers and beers were being handed about as Scott clamped his hand down on Stiles' shoulder.

"Happy birthday, dude!" The werewolf grinned. "Ha, you thought we had forgotten!"

Scott didn't notice the guilty look on Harper's face, but Stiles did, and he smirked, shaking his head as he hugged Scott back.

"Yeah, you totally had me convinced," Stiles chuckled, nodding as Scott promised to return with some alcohol for the three of them.

Before he could come back, Harper wrapped her arms around Stiles and forced him down a little so he was more her height, kissing him on the lips. Stiles kissed back, his palm cupping her cheek and the other holding the small of her back to pull her closer.

"Happy birthday, Stiles."

...


	10. Chapter 10

CHARACTERS: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski

SET IN: AU (age 16/17)

SUMMARY: "hi love can i request a starper au: based on the movie she's all that where stiles makes a bet that he can get harper to fall in love with him and harper finds out and its really angsty cause they have my heart"

Im ashamed to say that ive never seen this film, but i watched the trailer and ive read enough fanfic in my life time to attempt my own version for starper

(kinda taking away popular boy stereotype and stuff to make it a bit more original)

THIS IS GONNA HURT THO CAUSE STILES WOULD NEVER DO THAT AND HARPER IS MY BABY BUT IM GONNA TRY--

AND TRIGGER WARNING OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Requested? Yep! @IvstfuIs

ALSO THIS IS REALLY LONG + IM GONNA MAKE IT INTO A MINI SERIES CAUSE I WAS SO INSPIRED BY THE REQUEST!

PARENT!STARPER NEXT I PROMISE THIS TIME

Harper Verum nervously exhaled, her hand hesitating on the door handle of her grandmother's car as she stared across the car park at all of the teenagers rushing around and greeting their friends

Harper Verum nervously exhaled, her hand hesitating on the door handle of her grandmother's car as she stared across the car park at all of the teenagers rushing around and greeting their friends. She bit down on her bottom lip, feeling the anxiety in the pit of her stomach grow and spread to her veins, covering every inch of her petite frame.

She would rather be anywhere but here right now.

This was going to be a whole lot tougher than the films made it out to be, she was sure of that. Already Harper could spot a hundred and one differences between this high school and her one back home.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?" Rose Verum asked gently from beside her.

Harper felt like her hands were shaking, but when she looked down, they were still. She was frozen. Her mouth opened to reply, but all that came out was a pathetic squeak and she exhaled again, trying to calm her nerves.

"Hey, you're going to be fine," her grandmother promised her. "I'm sure by the time you've finished for the day, you'll have friends left, right, and centre."

The brunette turned to look at the older woman, raising an eyebrow. "Grandma, I had three friends back home. Three."

"Three friends are better than none," Rose reminded as a car started to beep from behind her. "I think they want us to move."

Harper looked in the rearview mirror, cringing when she saw a car full of teenagers behind her. It had totally not occurred to her that sixteen-year-olds could drive in this country, meanwhile, she was getting dropped off by her grandmother who raised her hand for them to wait.

"Grandma!" Harper whined in embarrassment but ultimately decided to rip the bandaid off and yanked the door open.

Rose sent her granddaughter a proud smile, giving Harper a thumbs-up as the brunette grabbed her bag from the floor and pulled it onto her shoulders. Before she could say goodbye, Rose had sped off, leaving Harper stranded by herself in a foreign country at a school she had never been to before.

Their laughs and chat were far louder now she stood in the open, brown eyes slightly wide as they moved past her. She saw a few boys walking around with lacrosse gear hanging out their backpacks and more people herding off of a bright yellow bus Harper had seen in films before. She blinked, tightening her grip on the straps.

Come on, Harper. You can do this.

Praying she wasn't lying to herself, Harper walked towards the main entrance, keeping her head down until she made it to the principal's office. Everything that was explained to her seemed to be in slow motion, the brunette mainly being conscious of how hard her heart was beating and how sick she felt. Anxiety was a bitch-- that was for sure.

"Let me take you to your first class," Principal Thomas insisted. "English with Mr Bridge, I believe."

Harper followed behind, taking another deep breath as the man opened the door to her classroom a couple of minutes later. She immediately felt her cheeks and ears heat up with embarrassment when everybody turned to look at her, a couple of girls whispering to each other towards the back of the room. Harper was glad she was wearing makeup so nobody could see her blush.

"Good morning, everyone. This is our new student, Harper Verum. Please do your best to make her feel welcome," Principal Thomas introduced her, giving her a gentle smile and pushing her towards an empty seat in the middle of the room.

Harper thanked the heavens that she didn't have to do some awkward introduction since she was pretty sure she would stammer and embarrass herself even more. She exhaled quietly once she was seated, grabbing her things from her bag as silently as she could and ignoring the stares that she was getting from people curious about her.

The brunette just prayed that this entire day hurried up. The lesson felt long enough, ending about fifty minutes later. As soon as it was over, Harper scooped her stuff up and started to put it into her bag, having a mental panic about what was going to happen next. She really hoped she found her next class easily, but the school seemed pretty big.

As she flung the Kanken she'd saved up for all summer over her shoulders, Harper felt somebody tap her shoulder, causing her to whirl around. She mustered the best smile that she could, hoping it looked natural as she came face to face with a boy her age.

The boy was far taller than her, definitely over six feet, and he had a mop of caramel-coloured curls on top of his head, his blue eyes crinkling as he smirked a little.

"I think you dropped this," the boy spoke, holding up some folded paper in between his fingers.

Harper's eyes widened when she realised that it was her timetable. She was slightly humiliated over the fact that this boy had definitely seen how much she had highlighted the thing. It looked like a rainbow had thrown up on the sheet, but it was the only way she could memorise where she was going next.

"Oh, thank you," Harper forced a small laugh, taking it from him. "I wouldn't be getting very far without it, huh?"

The boy's smirk seemed to grow. "No, you wouldn't. I'm Isaac. Isaac Lahey." He extended his hand for her to shake, which Harper did.

"Um, Harper Verum. Like the principal already said," Harper replied nervously.

"Welcome to Beacon Hills, Harper Verum."

...

"I found the perfect girl."

Stiles Stilinski was more focused on the curly fries in front of him rather than Isaac Lahey's love life. It was no secret that Stiles rarely cared what the blue-eyed boy had to say, especially when it was to do with all of the girls that he managed hooked up with.

Theo Raeken, another 'friend' Stiles didn't like to acknowledge very much, nudged him, causing the Stilinski boy to shoot him a small glare.

"What?" Stiles snapped. "Can't you see I'm eating?"

"Dude, he's talking to you." Theo rolled his eyes, choosing not to snap back like usual.

Stiles glanced up at Isaac who had sat down in front of them, next to Scott McCall. Liam Dunbar stopped talking about his girlfriend, Hayden, to listen too.

"What do you mean?" Stiles frowned, eyebrows tugging down in confusion.

"For you to lose your virginity to, man," Isaac grinned slyly.

Stiles' eyes widened and he glared. "Dude!" He hissed. "Shut the fuck up about that! Anybody could hear you."

"Like any girl in this school would willingly sleep with Stiles," Theo started to chuckle, earning an even fiercer glare. "Just stating facts."

"Guys," Scott cut in, attempting to be the voice of reason as always. "Leave Stiles alone. If he's comfortable not having sex then it's none of your businesses."

Stiles mentally groaned. A lot of stigma came with being the only virgin in your friend group, especially when you were still asking to play video games on Friday nights but getting blown off because your friends would rather hook up with their girlfriends.

It wasn't that he didn't want to lose his v-card— it was more the fact that it was virtually impossible for someone as awkward as him. He had no idea where to start with any of the girls in his grade, all of them thought he was some spastic with a jacked buzzcut.

"Are you comfortable with not having sex, Stiles?" Isaac raised his brows. "Or do you wanna see the girl that I'm pretty sure is exactly your type?"

Stiles' lips scrunched up as he contemplated what to say. Isaac and Theo smirked towards each other, knowing Stiles had stumbled right into the spider's web.

"Who?" Stiles demanded.

"She's the new girl," Isaac replied with a scheming smile. "Short, brunette, organised as fuck. She was in my first period."

"What's her name?"

"Harper Verum," he answered, his blue eyes suddenly narrowing on a figure towards the back of the hall. "No way. There she is now. Get a good look, Stiles."

Without thinking much of it, Stiles craned his neck over his shoulder to look where Isaac was pointing. His eyes landed on a girl that he had never seen before and he raised his brows, deciding she definitely was beautiful.

Tan skin, brown hair, brown eyes. She was short like Isaac had said, probably only just over five foot, and she was wearing a dark brown pinafore with a long—sleeve tan shirt underneath it. The neutral tones seemed to compliment the rest of her features perfectly, making her look like some sort of model.

"Oh, dude," Theo started to laugh. "As if Stiles could score that."

"Hey," Liam frowned. "You don't score girls. They're people, not games, Theo."

Theo just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If Stilinski doesn't make a move, I will. And trust me, I will score." He emphasised his words to piss Liam off even more, and it worked.

"You're a dumbass sometimes," the other boy grumbled.

"Oh come on!" The Raeken boy laughed, throwing his hand in the air. "Scott. You tell me that Stiles could get a girl like that."

Stiles' mouth nearly dropped open when he saw the way that Scott hesitated, a small wince on his face. Feeling genuinely offended, Stiles' brows knitted together and flung his curly fry back down onto the plastic tray.

"Dude," Stiles whined childishly.

"Look, man, it's not that I think she's out of your league or whatever, but you're... you kind of don't attract girls like that," Scott sighed.

"You literally just said she was out of my league but way longer," he deadpanned. "And what are you talking about? Erica Reyes had a crush on me in freshman year, she was pretty hot."

"Yeah, then she had a glow up over summer and realised she could do better," Theo replied.

Isaac shook his head. "No, guys. Here's the perfect thing. She's hot— but she's shy as hell. Seems like the kind of chick to fall for a guy like Stiles."

Theo huffed, "he still couldn't get the new girl."

Stiles felt himself starting to grow angry and genuinely offended at this point. It was starting to feel like they really were talking about a prize and not a human being, Liam shrinking back into his seat and trying to ignore it all as he ate his pizza slice.

"I so could!" Stiles practically yelled, earning a few looks from their peers.

"So you'll do it?" Isaac smirked. "You'll try and get Harper to sleep with you?"

Theo scoffed. "I bet a hundred bucks you can't do it in the next month."

Scott looked worriedly at his best friend, hoping Stiles wouldn't give in to the pressure. It seemed he had already made his mind up though.

"Three," Stiles said. "Three months to get her to sleep with me."

"Three?" Theo repeated with a loud scoff.

"Isaac said it himself. She's shy. I'm awkward. She doesn't seem like the kind of girl to just sleep with anyone either," Stiles barely understood what he was saying, and he knew he'd come to regret it when he was a hundred dollars short in the end of the next three months.

"And what's the plan then, Stiles?" Isaac leaned closer excitedly.

Stiles thought for a moment. "I get her to trust me. I take her on dates, make her think I actually like her, and then, when she thinks we're the real thing or whatever girls say, I fuck her and it's over."

Scott and Liam both flinched simultaneously at Stiles' vocabulary— he sounded more like Theo and Isaac than himself.

But before either could cut in, Theo and Stiles were shaking hands.

...

It had been four days since Stiles had made the stupid bet with Theo and so far he had yet to work up the courage to do anything about it, despite the fact that it was all that was on his mind. He knew it was wrong-- that he was being a misogynistic asshole and his mother would have definitely hit him if she were still alive-- but he'd managed to convince himself it wouldn't be a big deal.

Stiles didn't want to hurt anybody, it wasn't really in his nature, but he didn't care about Harper Verum, and Harper Verum didn't care about him. If he ever ended up succeeding in his bet, which he was pretty sure was a slim chance, then there was no way she would be too heartbroken over a guy like Stiles.

Stiles couldn't imagine anybody ever being heartbroken over him, let alone somebody as beautiful as Harper.

He'd seen her around school, at her locker or passing by to get to her next class, but he never said anything. She always appeared to be in her own little world, her brown eyes drifting around but never meeting his. Harper was short so she always seemed to get lost in crowds, but it was like Stiles had some sort of magnet in his brain where he could sense if they were in the same hallway, and he always found her.

"Dude, have you seen the new chick?"

Stiles' ears perked up when he heard Aiden Steiner talking a few lockers down in the changing rooms. The boy was talking to the lacrosse team captain, Jackson Whittemore, and Aiden's twin brother, Ethan, who looked like he couldn't care less.

"She's so hot man," Aiden grinned cockily. "I'd tap it."

The Stilinski boy grimaced at the typical locker room talk coming from the other guys, but froze his movements when he realised what he was going to do could be considered a whole lot worse than talking about a girl like an object. He was going to use her like an object.

His thoughts were clouded with the smarter side of his brain, telling him that the whole bet was a really bad idea and he should just call it off. Even when he was on the bench at the lacrosse game, chewing his nails anxiously, it was all he could think about.

Jackson scored a goal and Stiles heard a high pitched squeal come from a few rows behind him, causing him to briefly turn his head. Lydia Martin was already up on her feet, a grin on her face as she clapped her hands and cheered for her boyfriend. However, Stiles' eyes very quickly narrowed on the person sitting next to Lydia.

Harper Verum.

No way were the two of them friends. Harper had been here less than five whole days-- how the hell was she already besties with the queen of the school? Stiles' mouth dropped open in shock, his eyes not peeling from Harper who was smiling and watching the game, fiddling with the long sleeve of her shirt at the same time.

As if she felt his gaze on her, Harper's head slowly started to turn in his direction, but Stiles turned around at the speed of lightning, definitely making himself look suspicious. His heartbeat started to pick up, knowing he was screwed. If Harper was taken under Lydia's arm, there was no way he was getting to her. She would probably start dating one of the lacrosse players that actually played in the next couple of weeks-- somebody like Theo Raeken.

"Dude, dude." Stiles grabbed Theo's arm before he could exit the field after practise, causing the Raeken boy to look at him incredulously. "I can't do it. She's friends with Lydia Martin, man."

Theo raised his brows, blue eyes amused yet unforgiving. "So, you wanna give me my money now or wait three months? I really don't care, Stiles. I knew you couldn't do it."

Stiles' jaw clenched at Theo's words. "No. I wanna call it off."

"You can't just call a bet off," Theo laughed mockingly. "Unless you fuck the bitch like you swore you would, you owe me money."

Groaning, Stiles watched as his 'friend' started to walk away, leaving him standing alone on the grass. He couldn't afford to lose the money, and no way was Stiles going to lose to Theo Raeken. The mere thought of his smirk and laugh pissed Stiles off like nothing else, and he just found himself determined again. Determined to do something about this.

He'd make his move tonight. Now that he knew Harper would most likely be there, he was going to Lydia Martin's party.

...

"You look hot."

Harper glanced down at her outfit, an absentminded smile drawn across her features as she smoothed out the black bodycon dress she was wearing. Malia Tate handed her a red solo cup filled with what Harper assumed was beer.

Music was blasting loudly from the speakers, some pop song off the radio that Harper hadn't heard before, and bodies were everywhere. At first, it had been a little overwhelming to be surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces, but Malia and Lydia were quick to get her buzzed and after that she was fine, blending in like these people had been her classmates forever.

"You look hot too," Harper giggled, and the two girls did a cheers to that, downing their cups in one go like some sort of unspoken competition. "Have you seen Lydia around?"

Malia shook her head. "Nah. Well, last time I saw her she was going upstairs with Jackson."

Harper cringed a little at the insinuation and the pair both chuckled with each other, swaying slightly to the upbeat music. Everything was loud in her ears but she couldn't bring herself to particularly care or dislike it. Her head felt heavy from the alcohol, her brain whirring with dozens of thoughts per second while her mouth moved slowly, unable to keep up with herself.

"I don't really like Jackson," Harper admitted casually, earning a nod of agreement from the taller girl in front of her.

She'd only known all of these people for five days, but Harper had already made her mind up on who she liked and who she didn't like. Jackson was one of those people-- unfortunately for him, his good looks didn't pull a blanket over Harper's eyes that he had a shitty personality and was most likely just using Lydia, who Harper actually liked.

"I love this song!" Malia yelled as something new came on, grabbing Harper's wrist and pulling her even closer. "Dance with me."

Harper did as she was told with no hesitation, hips swaying in time with Malia's as she lifted her hands above her head and just relaxed. A couple of guys tried to join in, but as soon as one placed their hands on Malia's hips, she shoved the boy off roughly, sending him a glare that would have probably made Harper cry if it was directed at her.

More songs later, and a few cups of beer too, Malia had wandered off with some guy that sparked her interest and Harper decided to make her way to the bathroom. She tried to look around to see if she could spot any of her other friends, Allison Argent or Kira Yukimura, except it felt like everybody was a whole foot taller and jumping around, blocking her vision.

Harper swayed in and out of the anonymous bodies, bobbing her head to the music as she tried to get to her destination. Before she could reach the staircase, a hand clamped down on her shoulder, causing her to turn around.

Harper sent a drunken smile at the boy standing behind her. He was probably six feet tall and had sandy hair and blue eyes. She recognised him as one of the identical twins that played lacrosse and hung around Jackson. Harper wasn't sure which one it was, but she knew the straight one was constantly making googly eyes at Lydia, and it pissed the captain of the team off a lot.

"Where are you off to, beautiful?" Harper knew it was Aiden immediately, her nose crinkling up as he bent down to whisper against his ear, the stench of alcohol hitting her.

"The bathroom," she replied carelessly, jerking her head in the direction of the staircase.

Before she could leave, she felt large hands pressing against her waist, fingertips digging in and pulling her back so she was tucked against Aiden's chest, his hot breath fanning her tan skin.

"Come on, let me give you a proper welcome to Beacon Hills," Aiden murmured, a sly smirk crossing his features with the more she fought back.

Harper's eyes widened and she felt like she was going to throw up everything that she had drunk that night, digging her sharp nails into his skin and elbowing him in the arms.

Aiden struggled to take the teenage girl up the stairs, just thankful that the drunk idiots on the bottom floor were too wasted to even think anything of it-- or if they did, they didn't dare try and stand up against him.

"Let go, dickhead," Harper started to scream, throwing her head back and kicking against the carpeted floor. "I don't-- get the fuck off of me!"

"Hey!" A yell came from behind them, causing Aiden to whirl around with Harper still tucked under his arm. "Don't be a piece of shit, Aiden."

Harper blinked at the boy standing at the top of the stairs, recognising him as Allison's boyfriend's friend. He was wearing a plaid shirt and khaki pants, his face slightly red from anger as he clenched his jaw, hazel eyes worriedly glancing between the two.

Aiden released Harper, her petite frame immediately stumbling against one of the walls. She was disgusted when the lacrosse player simply raised his hands in defence, muttering something under his breath about the other boy chilling out. So he'd listen to another guy, but not her? The girl he was about to sexually assault?

The boy with the buzzcut glared harder as Aiden moved past him to go back down the stairs before his gaze slowly travelled back to Harper. She leaned against the wall, trying to control her breathing as tears burned in her eyes.

"Hey, hey. Are you okay?" The boy asked quickly, moving over. "Aiden's gone, he won't bother you again."

Harper's eyes flickered to him and she sent him a small, forced smile. "Th-thank you," she breathed. "Thank you so much..."

"Stiles," the hazel-eyed boy filled in for her. "Um, my name is Stiles Stilinski. You're new, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah," she croaked. "I'm Harper, I started here on Monday."

"Not a great start then, huh?" Stiles murmured, sitting down and leaning his back against the wall beside her.

The girl was starting to calm down with Stiles' gentle presence. There was something about him that told her she was safe here and that he wasn't going to hurt her. Perhaps it was the way he smelt like fresh linen and cologne rather than cheap alcohol, or maybe it was the way his body warmth beside her offered her comfort rather than engulfed her forcefully like Aiden's had.

"Yeah, not ideal," Harper agreed, closing her eyes and leaning back against the wall.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Stiles murmured after a few moments. "Do you want me to go get one of your friends? I'm pretty sure they'd be much better at this whole comforting thing than I am."

"Do you have a car?" Harper asked abruptly, making Stiles look at her in confusion but nod. "Can- can you just take me home? I only live five minutes away, but I don't want to walk alone in the dark and all my friends are plastered."

The boy nodded. "Yeah, yeah, sure. I can take you home."

He started to scramble up off of the carpeted ground, looking down and her and offering his hand. Harper reached to take it, surprised at how much bigger it was than hers. If he were to close it, it could engulf her entire fist. He pulled her to her feet, one hand resting on her shoulder to steady her once she was up.

"Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how drunk are you right now?" Stiles asked worriedly as he started to lead her down the stairs, watching the way she wobbled a little.

"Um, maybe a good eight right now," Harper admitted.

Stiles nodded, taking her outside and down the pavement, finally releasing her hand when he was sure she wasn't going to get lost in any crowds or bumped into.

Harper welcomed the fresh air on her skin, wishing she could just lie down in the middle of the road and appreciate the way it combed its fingers through her hair and woke her up.

"This is my ride." The Stilinski boy paused in his tracks to pat the hood of an old powder blue jeep. "Don't make fun of her or I will leave you here."

Harper giggled a little as he helped her round into the passenger side, opening the door for her. She decided she quite liked the uniqueness of it, a huge contrast to all of the other black and blue cars parked up and down the street. She did her own seatbelt as Stiles ran around to the driver's side, climbing in.

"I like it," Harper said, feeling slightly tired as she held onto her seatbelt.

Stiles hummed in appreciation as he twisted the key in the ignition and started the car. Harper gave him her address and less than five minutes later they were pulling up outside the Verum household. All of the lights were turned out and it was silent.

"Thanks so much, Stiles," Harper yawned. "You saved my arse. I owe you."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, the two of them sat in the silence of the jeep as he turned the engine off. It wasn't awkward at all, Harper was too wasted to even realise that everything had gone quiet.

"How 'bout you repay me with your phone number?" Stiles asked, trying to sound confident, but hesitance still laced his tone.

The brunette looked over to him and smiled. "I guess it's the least I could do," she teased, pulling out her phone and reading her number out to him since she had to get a new one when she moved and hadn't memorised it yet.

Stiles typed her number into his phone and saved her contact.

"Thanks... do you want me to walk you to your door? Make sure you don't trip over?" The hazel-eyed boy asked.

"Trust me," Harper slurred slightly as she unbuckled the belt and opened the door. "I have the stealth of a ninja and the balance of a ballerina. I'll be fine."

Seconds later, Stiles was watching Harper trip a few feet in her driveway. He nearly snorted, quickly climbing out of the jeep and rushing over to her. Much to his surprise, she was already giggling to herself, even though her hands were scratched and her knees were dented painfully from the gravel.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked.

Harper nodded. "I meant to do that."

He helped her to her feet, this time wrapping an arm around her shoulders and refusing to let go of her as they headed to the front door. Harper leaned against him, the smell of beer and vanilla filling his nostrils.

"Where are your keys?" Stiles questioned once they reached the porch.

"Bag."

The Stilinski boy helped Harper balance better as he reached into the small bag over her shoulder, blindly going in for keys. His fingers brushed the cold metal seconds later and he pulled them out, amused to see a Hello Kitty keyring attached, alongside other keyrings of places she'd obviously visited in Europe.

"Hello Kitty?" Stiles hummed, amused.

"She's cute," Harper whispered. "Hey, please don't break into my house and murder me and my family."

Stiles raised his brows. "I promise you I won't. Just a concerned peer trying to help out, I swear."

"Thank you."

The brunet sifted through the keys until he found the one for her front door, quietly unlocking it. Harper staggered inside and Stiles sent her a look.

"Are you gonna be okay? Do you need help up the stairs?"

"I can crawl," Harper mumbled as she yanked the heels off of her feet and put them messily by the door. "Thank you, Stiles."

"Of course. Are your parents gonna be mad if you make lots of noise?"

Harper didn't bother to tell him that her parents had passed away and she lived with her grandmother. She'd only met him about fifteen minutes ago and she didn't feel like getting pitiful looks so early into their hopefully-new-found friendship. Instead, she shook her head and hung her bag on the bannister.

"I'll see you at school on Monday, Stiles," Harper gave him a small smile.

"Okay. Drink water, sober up. All that other shit," Stiles ordered and she giggled, leaning against the door.

"Okay, sir. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Harper."

...

When Stiles woke up the next morning, he thanked God that it was a Saturday. He was fed up with the boring routine of school and his lunch hours being filled with nothing but Theo and Isaac going on about the bet he'd agreed to.

Last night felt like a success. While he hadn't meant to officially meet Harper in the way that he did, it sure felt like he'd broken barriers he wouldn't have been able to do by simply introducing himself at school. Not to say he was glad it had happened to her-- he was disgusted by Aiden-- and he was glad he was in the right place at the right time.

He rolled over on his mattress, his hand immediately going to his phone which was charging on his bedside table like every single night. Stiles rubbed his hand and started going through his notifications, surprised to find one from Harper herself.

HARPER: thanks for helping me out last night. promise im not usually that much of a lightweight.

Stiles found himself smiling a little bit, his thumbs starting to immediately text back.

STILES: it's no problem, seriously. and i'll take your word for it haha

He found himself going on Instagram, typing her name in. Only one account came up called 'harperverum', so he clicked on it and hummed in satisfaction, realising that finding her had been pretty easy. Her icon was a cute selfie that she was sort of pouting in, but her account was private so he couldn't see any more photos.

Stiles hesitated before he requested to follow her, eyes widening when he saw the 'followed by lydiamartin, scottmccall and 15 others'. Scott followed her? He started to call his best friend immediately.

"What dude?" Scott groaned on the other end, clearly hungover. "It's, like, ten in the morning."

"You follow Harper Verum?" Stiles questioned. "You didn't tell me."

"Yeah, I met her a couple of days ago when she was hanging out with Allison," his best friend muttered back, voice slightly muffled by the pillow he was resting against. "She was cool."

Stiles scoffed, sitting up and scrunching his face up. "Wha- what?" He spluttered. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"Maybe 'cause of what you're gonna do to her," Scott deadpanned. "I'm not helping you with this, Stiles. You know how I feel."

Stiles fell silent, closing his eyes and leaning back. Scott was right, but he would let her down easy.

Harper accepted Stiles' follow request a few hours later and requested to follow him back. Stiles let her before he started to go through her account. He felt like a bit of a stalker, but the more he scrolled through her pictures, the more he grew to like her. She seemed sweet, her pictures always selfies, scenery or group pictures with her friends back home.

It felt like the more he went through them, the more he felt he knew her, and Stiles knew that was probably a bad idea 

It felt like the more he went through them, the more he felt he knew her, and Stiles knew that was probably a bad idea. He didn't want to grow attached, but Harper was undoubtedly gorgeous and seemed to have an amazing personality. Stiles wasn't stupid-- he could see himself falling for her fast, but he didn't want to.

It's just a bet.

But is a girlfriend a bad idea? Especially one like Harper.

Stiles groaned, accidentally catching the attention of his father who was actually having a day off. Sheriff Stilinski looked up from the newspaper he was reading, raising his brows at his son who was hunched over his phone at the other end of the table.

"What's wrong with you?" Noah questioned.

"Nothing," Stiles replied immediately before he sighed. "Absolutely nothing..."

...


	11. Chapter 11

summary: part two of the bet

set in: AU (age 17)

requested? yep :)

NOT PROOF READ

Harper loved Lydia, she really did, but damn was that girl exhausting

Harper loved Lydia, she really did, but damn was that girl exhausting. The redhaired girl had standards, and they were set high like something out of a teen film. Now that Harper had been taken in by her little clique, there were certain rules that she now had to abide by.

A couple made sense, but the majority were plain stupid in Harper's opinion-- why was wearing jogging bottoms to school such a big deal?

Harper guessed she didn't really have a style. She bought whatever looked cute, in whatever colour, whatever fit. Her wardrobe was filled with pinafores, skinny jeans, mom jeans, skirts, cute dresses, tight dresses, Doc Marten boots, wedges...

"This is cute," the strawberry blonde said as she grabbed a baggy graphic tee from the back of Harper's wardrobe. "If I was an eighty-year-old biker with an alcohol problem."

Allison snorted from where she was sprawled across Harper's bed, looking through the girl's jewellery box. Harper's brows knitted together and she pouted, kneeling down beside the queen bee of the school and yanking the shirt back.

"It's comfy," Harper huffed, chucking the material on over the tank top she wore and knotting it in the middle. "Look, you can do that, and it looks super cute, or..." She undid the knot she made and let it hang past her hips. "Pair of shorts with it-- good for sleepovers."

Lydia rolled her green eyes. "Harper, why would you wear loose clothes when you could be showing off what you got?"

Allison shrugged, placing a daisy chain ring back into Harper's box. "I don't know, Lyds. It's cute on her."

Harper grinned and pulled it up to pose with it, mimicking a model as she threw her head back and peered over her shoulder, putting on a small show for the two girls. Lydia shook her head, not finding it very amusing while Allison applauded, doing a little wolf whistle.

"You're getting rid of the shirt," Lydia deadpanned and started to go through more of her stuff.

"I'm keeping the shirt," Harper replied in the same tone, pulling it off of her body and throwing it to the side where the girl couldn't get her hands on it.

Surprisingly, Lydia didn't try and argue, humming when she came across a dress that she liked and holding it against her body, looking in the mirror.

"Cute," she muttered, putting it back down in the pile of clothes that were supposedly socially acceptable for Harper to wear to school. "We only have a few weeks left until summer. That gives us months to update your wardrobe in time for senior year, so don't worry."

A ping came from Harper's phone and before she could react, Allison absentmindedly grabbed it, checking the screen. Her eyes widened and she grinned.

"Why is Stiles Stilinski texting you?"

"What?" Lydia shrieked as Harper darted for the device, lifting up to her eyes. "Harper, why does Stiles Stilinski even have your number?"

The brunette started to blush, her cheeks and ears heating up a rosy colour as she snatched her phone from Allison's grasp. Stiles had just sent her a couple of smiley faces, obviously replying to whatever she'd said to him before her friends had arrived half an hour ago.

She shrugged. "Because I gave it to him."

Lydia stood up from the floor, folding her arms across her chest. "Seriously? When?"

"At your party last Friday."

"Five days ago?" The strawberry blonde's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I don't know, it's not that big of a deal," Harper's tone suggested otherwise, her brown eyes looking anywhere but in Lydia's. "We've just been texting and stuff."

Allison grinned, flopping back so she was resting her head on Harper's pillow. "Cute. You know, I think you and Stiles would look good together."

Lydia's face scrunched up. "No!" She exclaimed. "No way. I can deal with you dating Scott McCall, but I will not let you date his boyfriend."

"Lyds," the Argent girl huffed. "There's nothing wrong with Scott or Stiles. We can't all date the captain of the lacrosse team."

"No, but you can date boys that don't spend their weekends playing video games in their underwear and have more than three hundred followers on Instagram," Lydia snapped.

"I'm not dating Stiles," Harper replied timidly, not knowing whether she could defend herself properly against the queen bee of their school yet.

Harper didn't want to mess whatever this was up. She'd never felt popularity before, never had a friend in every single class she walked into or had people ask to sit next to her at lunch. This whole popularity thing wasn't as toxic as some movies made it out to be, she'd found genuine friends in some of the girls and a couple of the guys, like Danny and Boyd. She liked this.

"You like him, don't you?" Allison smiled, ignoring Lydia's childish pout.

Harper felt her face heat up even more. "It's just a silly crush. I've only known him for five days."

"Immature boys like him don't know how to treat women like you, Harper," Lydia insisted, grabbing Harper's hands and sitting them down on the bed. "Stiles' idea of a date is probably you sitting on his bed while he plays video games and barely pays any attention to you."

The Verum girl wasn't sure why she felt so defensive over Stiles, but Lydia's words were genuinely offending her. Harper pulled her hands away and placed them in her lap, shaking her head softly.

"Lyds, he's so sweet," Harper denied. "Please... Just let me figure this out on my own."

"Fine," Lydia huffed. "But the second he breaks your heart, I'm finding you someone that will actually be worth your time."

Harper was convinced Stiles wouldn't be breaking her heart anytime soon. 

...

Stiles walked through the halls of Beacon Hills High, hands attached to his backpack straps and face reading nothing but bored. Eight-thirty was far too early to be awake, especially when he'd been up until two in the morning texting a certain brunette all night. She seemed different when she spoke last night like maybe she was actually flirting with him a little bit.

He liked it-- a lot, actually. When he woke up, he sent her a good morning text and couldn't even brush his teeth without checking his phone evpery ten seconds to see if she had replied yet. When she did, just a simple 'good morning' back with a couple of emojis, Stiles felt his heart skip a beat.

A bet wasn't supposed to feel like this.

Stiles convinced himself that it was simply just the fact that he had had a lack of female attention his entire life. His mother passed away when he was just nine years old, so he never got all of the advice most boys got from their mothers' about girls.

Scott seemed to be natural for some reason. When Allison was new in their junior year, he had her going to the winter formal with him despite her being way out of his league, and they'd only met a couple of months prior. Meanwhile, Stiles sat at home watching Star Wars and eating pizza with his dad like every Friday night.

So the feelings he had for Harper weren't real-- they couldn't be. He was just so deprived of the attention of girls that when one finally was kind to him, he thought it must be love at first sight.

Deep down he knew he already had a small crush.

"Hey." Theo's arm wrapped around Stiles' shoulder, steering him over to the lockers. "How's the thing with the new chick going?"

"Well," Stiles replied.

Theo grinned, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Atta boy. So, what are we thinking? Less than three months now?"

The Stilinski boy shrugged, not really wanting to talk about this with Theo. To be honest, when he spoke to Harper, he forgot all about the bet. Coming back to school and sitting with Theo and Isaac just made him feel sick to his stomach. Harper was genuinely sweet and kind and funny-- she didn't deserve what he was doing to her.

"How about this." Isaac suddenly appeared on the other side of him. "If you can sleep with her in two months, I chuck in an extra two hundred. Just for fun."

Stiles' eyes widened a little. "You're lying."

"Nope. If you can do it in two months, three hundred bucks, Stiles. That's enough to fix the door to your piece of crap jeep, right?" He smirked.

Stiles knew exactly what they were doing. Trying to up his motivation, get Harper into bed with him quicker for their own amusement. Plus, Isaac was a hundred percent correct. Three hundred was the exact amount he needed to fix the passenger side door of his car, and they knew it.

"Stop," he groaned, pushing away from the lockers.

"You're not backing out now, are you, Stilinski?" Theo's brows furrowed. "That's a hundred bucks to me if you pull out."

"No," Stiles huffed. "No, I'm not backing out now, I just--"

Suddenly, his hazel eyes cast on a familiar brunette across the hall. She was standing by her locker, her hands fiddling with something inside as she tried to avoid eye contact with the body pressed up beside her. Aiden Steiner seemed like he wasn't reading her body language properly, arm resting above her head as he loomed over her small frame, like a predator teasing its prey.

Isaac's face lit up in amusement and he grinned. "Jealous, Stiles?"

"What are you gonna do, Stilinski?" Theo added as Scott started to head over, an innocent expression written across his face. "You gonna swoop in and save the day?"

Scott groaned as Stiles parted from the group, brown eyes watching his best friend march over the other side of the hall. He listened to Theo and Isaac as they started to laugh in amusement, feeling disappointment flood his system. He didn't understand why they couldn't just leave the poor girl alone-- she'd only been here just over a week.

"Hey, Harper," Stiles called, shooting a look at the lacrosse player as he stood on the other side.

The Verum girl seemed thankful to see him, her eyes melting and her shoulders sagging as she took her hands out of her locker and moved closer to him. Stiles placed a hand down on her shoulder, looking at Aiden.

"Aiden."

Aiden stared between the two of them, brows furrowed. "I thought Lydia was fucking kidding me," he scoffed. "Whatever."

He seemed to get the hint now that Stiles was there, leaving Harper alone finally. The teenage girl turned back around as Stiles peeled his hand from her, sending him a smile.

"Oh, thank god for you, Stiles Stilinski," Harper breathed. "You saved my ass- again."

Stiles shrugged. "Hey, it's no big deal. Aiden's a fucking asshole, but I think he's got the hint now."

Harper nodded.

"What did he mean by the Lydia thing?" The Stilinski boy asked curiously, watching as Harper started to retrieve her books from her locker.

He pretended that he couldn't feel the stares of his friends on his back as Harper faltered her movements. She retracted her hands once more and shot him a sheepish smile, suddenly appearing shy and small underneath his gaze.

"I think Lydia has it in her head that we're dating or something," she chuckled anxiously and Stiles' heart skipped a beat-- this was it.

He offered her a small laugh back. "Huh. How about we prove her totally right and go out for something to eat after school tomorrow?"

The only reason he was able to get his words out was due to the adrenaline pumping through his veins, and due to the fact that he had spent a majority of his evening texting this girl last night. However, as he waited for her response, he felt like he was dying-- like he would actually stop breathing whatever her answer was.

Her face lit up and her cheeks and ears seemed to grow a rosy colour. "Oh, um, sure. That sounds great."

Stiles grinned. Not only was he getting a date with one of the prettiest girls at school, but he might be about to make three hundred bucks. 

...

Harper sighed happily as she closed the front door behind her, leaving Stiles outside. She turned around and peered through the peephole, watching as he smiled to himself for a second or two before he jogged down the porch and back to his blue jeep parked at the end of the driveway. She didn't wait for him to get in and leave, her heart fluttering in her chest as she turned back around.

The date with Stiles had been everything she hoped and more. She had been a nervous wreck beforehand, nearly having a full blown panic attack until Allison calmed her down and Lydia did her makeup for her, making her look 'stunning' as Stiles had said when he picked her up.

"How was it?" Rose grinned from the doorway.

Harper started to squeal and jump up and down rushing to her grandmother and grabbing her hands. Rose laughed and bobbed slightly with the teenager.

"I take that as a good sign?"

"Grandma, I think I'm in love," Harper sighed dramatically, holding both hands over her heart and staring up at the ceiling. "How can a human being be so perfect?"

Rose smiled, wrapping her granddaughter up into her arms. "Tell me about it in the morning. I'm knackered and I need sleep."

Harper nodded quickly, kissing her grandmother's temple and letting her head upstairs. It's safe to say that Harper didn't fall asleep for hours after that, replaying her date with Stiles over and over again in her head, determined not to forget a single detail.

He'd picked her up and taken her to a field where they'd climbed onto the roof of his jeep-- something he said he'd never let anybody else do. They ate a picnic he'd made (but mostly bought) as the sun set and then proceeded to stargaze, letting her rest her head on his arm and play her music, where she proceeded to introduce him to The Neighbourhood, and he showed her All Time Low.

Everything he said had been so perfect, and it was obvious he had been slightly nervous at the beginning. He'd dressed in what he told her was his lucky plaid shirt and he had cleaned his car and everything.

Harper was pretty sure she was destined to meet Stiles. 

...

The next Tuesday, Harper found herself sitting on one of the lunch benches at school with her friends. The Californian sun was eating her alive and she smelt of suncream, her body not yet conditioned to the hot weather. She was sweating a little but had tied her hair up and used hairspray so it wasn't obvious.

"I'm dying," Harper groaned, dropping her head against Malia's shoulder. "I want an ice bath prompto."

Boyd raised his brows. "It's only eighty five degrees."

Harper had no idea what that meant but shrugged anyway. She wasn't sure why the US decided to measure in Farenheit-- and she didn't really plan on learning it anytime soon. Suddenly, giggles came from the other side of her and she saw Scott wrapping his arms around Allison, the two smiling as they shared a kiss.

"Hi, guys," Scott waved, only introducing himself because the meaner side of the group wasn't around. He hesitated as he looked at Harper. "Um, Stiles asked you to meet him by the main entrance, Harper."

Harper grabbed her bag and stood up. "Thanks, Scott."

She headed to where Allison's boyfriend had told her to go, the corners of her lips threatening to tug up into a grin. Since their date last Friday, Stiles and Harper had been sending smiles in hallways and holding hands to get to their next class, texting all night until they saw each other in the morning when he'd pick her up in the jeep.

To say she had a crush would be a little bit of an understatement. Harper had fallen for Stiles, and she'd fallen hard. Harder than any other crush she had had before. She was pretty sure she liked him even more than she had liked her ex-boyfriend, Calum.

Harper found the tall brunet standing around where Scott had said he would be. He was wearing a plaid shirt despite the heat and he seemed to be fiddling around with his slender fingers nervously. Harper approached him with a beam.

"Hey," she greeted. "Scott said you wanted to see me."

"Yeah!" Stiles held onto her arms and pulled her into a short hug. "Damn," he chuckled. "You smell like you bathed in sunblock."

Harper laughed. "Oh, god. Is it that bad? I always get really bad heat rash and I'm not... climatised to California yet."

"It's not bad." Stiles shook his head. "Reminds me of vacation."

"It's coconut, I think," Harper said before she realised she'd been distracted. "Anyway, Scott said-"

"Yeah, I have a question for you, actually," Stiles spoke, growing slightly nervous again. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to be my girlfriend? Like officially."

The brown eyed girl felt her heart skip a beat and she nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I'd love that," she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up on her toes to hug him.

When they pulled back, Stiles was blushing a little. "Can I, like, kiss you?"

Harper grinned wider and nodded, leaning in and meeting Stiles halfway. Their lips hesitated for a mere second before they pressed together. It was unsure at first, their eyes fluttering closed as Harper grabbed Stiles' plaid shirt and pulled him a little closer, encouraging him. Stiles held the back of her head, feeling like his entire body was on fire as their lips connected like puzzle pieces.

Kissing Stiles felt so right to Harper. She'd shared a few kisses with Calum, but none had ever felt quite as special as this. Stiles' slender fingers slowly moved from the back of her head and down her spine, resting on the small of her back as he pulled back.

"Whoa," Stiles murmured as they pulled back. "Did... Did you feel that?"

Harper nodded bashfully. "Yeah," she whispered, tucking some hair behind her ear. "It was nice."

"It was," Stiles cleared his throat as the school bell rang, a disappointed look crossing his face. "Well, I better get to class."

Harper agreed, "Yeah, me too. I'll catch you after school?"

"Of course."

He watched as she walked through the main entrance, sending him a small wave before her petite figure was lost in the crowds. A hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Wasn't so hard, was it?" Theo grinned, slipping him a twenty. "Even got a kiss out of it. Was there tongue?"

Stiles' eyes closed as guilt started to eat him alive, memories of what he was supposed to be doing flooding back. He screwed the note up in his hand and shoved it back into Theo's chest.

"I don't want it," he snapped.

Theo's face scrunched up in confusion. "Dude, you asked her out in under an hour like Isaac dared you to. That's a twenty."

Stiles had used his friends' pressure to force himself to do what he had wanted to do since the date he had had with Harper last Friday, but it had all felt so real to him-- especially when he kissed her. He didn't want the twenty, he felt wrong taking it.

"I don't want it," Stiles grumbled.

"Don't pussy out on us now-"

"I'm not!" Stiles suddenly yelled, taking Theo by obvious surprise. "Just get off my fucking back."

He marched to his class, not looking back at Theo for a second.

...

The past three weeks as Stiles' official girlfriend had been some of the best weeks of Harper's entire life-- there was no doubt about it. It turned out that his father was the Sheriff of Beacon Hills so he was rarely ever home, leaving them an empty house to do a lot of cuddling and making out in.

Harper noticed that Stiles always liked to have a hand resting on her, not even in a sexual way. If she sat next to him, he liked to put his hand on her leg, or if she stood beside him then he always made sure they were so close that you couldn't slide a piece of paper between their arms. She thought it was sweet, amongst all of the other gestures he did for her.

They were the kind of couple to sit with separate friend groups at lunch but spend the entire hour texting each other anyway, sending small smiles across the cafeteria while their best friends, Scott and Allison, exchanged knowing glances.

Harper was pretty bored that weekend. Rose was out at a doctor's appointment that Harper had forced her to go to. The old woman had always been quite frail and got sick easily, but the cough that she had seemed to be so bad that Harper booked her in without even telling her, and then this morning she shoved Rose out of the door.

It was no secret the teenage girl was pretty scared of people leaving her. Her parents had done it so abruptly, finding themselves in a freak plane accident when Harper was only thirteen-years-old, leaving her emotionally traumatised. Rose was her rock-- she just wanted her to be okay.

STILES: let me take you somewhere

Harper raised her brows at the screen and found herself smiling without even thinking about it. She quickly told him that she was ready whenever he was, bounding up from her bed and spritzing herself with some perfume before slipping some shoes on.

Only minutes later did the familiar sound of the jeep's horn come from outside. Harper rushed down the stairs as fast as her short legs would take her, making sure to lock the front door and then run towards the passenger side.

"Man, you really need to get this door fixed," Harper huffed, wincing when she grabbed the handle for the second time to yank it open.

Stiles gave her a small pout. "I will, I will. Just get in."

Harper released a breathy chuckle, pushing her curls off of her face and strapping herself into the vehicle that Stiles arguably loved more than anything. She pulled her hair out from underneath the black straps and made herself comfortable, moving the fan so it was blowing cool air in her direction.

"Where's your grandma's car?" Stiles questioned as he pulled away from the curb.

"She's at the doctors," Harper shrugged. "She's had a cough for months but she had really bad chest pain yesterday, so I forced her to go today."

Stiles frowned, peeling his eyes from the road for a second to look at his girlfriend. He liked Rose and he was pretty sure that the older woman liked him too, even if they'd only met once or twice when Stiles dropped Harper home after school.

"Tell her I hope she feels better soon," he said.

Harper beamed. "Will do... so. Where are you taking me exactly?"

"It's a surprise," Stiles replied, trying to keep the element of mystery up.

"Make a left in fifty feet. Eighteen miles from Beacon Hills Mall."

Harper started to laugh as Stiles tried to switch the GPS off while driving, his large hand failing to get the robot's voice to shut up.

"The mall, huh?" Harper asked.

Stiles groaned. "Not exactly. They have a movie playing in the parking lot tonight, I thought we could go see it."

Harper's dark eyes widened. "Like in the romance films?" She asked eagerly.

He nodded. "Yeah," he smiled when he realised that Harper was excited about it and didn't think it was dumb like he had dreaded.

"Oh my gosh, I've always wanted to go to one," Harper squealed a little, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "You're the best."

Stiles shrugged teasingly. "I know."

...

Harper rested her head on Stiles' shoulder, paying more attention to his slender fingers tracing up and down her hand rather than the actual film itself. The Titanic was a film she had seen multiple times in her seventeen years of living and she'd learnt all about the disaster in history lessons at her old school.

Plenty of other couples and groups of friends were parked around in their own cars watching the film, quiet chatter radiating around them. It was still hot in Beacon Hills, so Stiles had the AC up as high as the broken thing would allow him.

His fingers started to move down hers as if he was tracing every part of her, trying to memorise every line on her skin and beauty mark. Stiles was absentmindedly flipping her hand over, not paying attention to the screen as he traced more lines.

Harper giggled, "that tickles, y'know."

Stiles stopped what he was doing, but still held onto her hand. "Sorry."

"I really like you," Stiles murmured after a few minutes of silence when they were just over half way into the film.

Harper lifted her head and blushed a little. "I really like you too, Stiles."

"I've never felt this way before," he admitted, looping their fingers together. "Sometimes it kind of scares me 'cause I don't know how I could fall for someone so fast and hard, but I just, like, wanted to let you know, I guess."

Harper brought his hand to her lips and pecked it, smoothing his skin as she held onto his jaw with her other hand and tilted his head in her direction.

"I feel the exact same way," she replied. "I didn't plan on a boyfriend when I moved here, I just wanted to keep my head down and wait it out until I could move back home.... But you've given me a reason to stay, you know? Like, I'm actually happy I'm here."

"I'm happy you're here too," Stiles murmured, connecting his lips with hers. 

...

Love was a strong word, but by the time Harper had been with Stiles for five weeks, she was pretty sure she felt it. They'd known each other for six, closer to seven, yet it felt like forever to her. Stiles was the missing piece she's always needed-- everybody took note of how much bigger her smile was, or how much more genuine her laugh was.

Stiles had been feeling the exact same for a little longer now, around the fourth week he knew he was in way too deep. The Stilinski boy had fallen for Harper so hard that he was convinced there was no way that he was recovering from this. This wasn't a bet, none of this was part of it.

When he was with her... everything was real.

He only had a couple of weeks left to complete the bet and then it was summer and he was supposed to ditch Harper. Except he couldn't do it. He didn't want to do it.

"What about your shitty jeep?" Isaac scowled, glaring down at the slightly shorter boy who was standing his ground.

Stiles huffed. "I can get the money from somewhere else. I don't need your stupid bet money and I don't need you and Theo breathing down the neck of my relationship with Harper."

Theo grinned wickedly. "You actually like her? That's too bad... I was planning on tapping that after you fucked her and left her."

He acted in a blind fit of rage, only seeing red as he grabbed Theo by the shirt and shoved him up against the brick wall behind them as hard as he physically could. Theo was shorter but he worked out a lot more, a cocky grin on his face as Stiles raised a fist to punch him.

"Oh, come on, Stiles!" Theo laughed. "Those were your own words. What happened to big bad Stiles who was gonna prove everyone wrong?"

Stiles blinked and then his fist was colliding with Theo's face, causing the blue-eyed boy to groan out. Isaac didn't step in but watched curiously as Stiles shoved him again, arm pressed to Theo's chest so he couldn't escape.

"You're a bastard, Theo," Stiles spat, letting go and reaching into his back pocket. He grabbed the hundred dollar bill, shoving it into Theo's hand. "There's your stupid fucking bet money. The bet is off."

He could hear Theo chuckling as Stiles walked away. The Raeken boy wiped his lip, looking down at the blood smeared on his fingers and shaking his head.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if Harper found out your true intentions, Stiles?"

He froze at that, turning in his spot. Isaac raised his brows, glancing between the two. He was unsure if Stiles was marching back towards them for another punch or if he was genuinely worried-- probably the last one based on the expression written across his face.

"That's not fair," Stiles lowered his voice.

Theo shoved the money back at him. "We said nothing about not telling Harper when it was all over. The bet's over, Stiles. I think she deserves the right to know that all of this has been fake."

It hasn't. None of this has been fake.

He could imagine the look on Harper's face when she found out. The tears in her brown eyes that he had only ever seen when he made her laugh. He'd never get to make her laugh again. He'd never see her smile or get to hold her or tell her how pretty she looked, making her scoff and shove his arm but blush all at once.

Stiles looked down at the money in his hands. "You won't tell her if I... if I do the bet?"

Theo nodded. "She'll never know. You can still be with her after, you won't be a virgin anymore, plus you'll be a whole three hundred bucks richer. Sounds like a win win to me."

Stiles clenched his eyes shut. "This is bullshit. I hate you both."

"Oh, come on. This is quality entertainment, Stilinski," Isaac laughed.

He felt sick, but he said nothing as he walked away. It was a silent agreement that the bet was still on, but if it was what it would take to get Harper to stay with him then it was worth it.

Stiles hated himself, but he'd hate himself even more if Harper ever found out the truth.

But he should have known that Theo Raeken never did anything for anyone else.


	12. Chapter 12

summary: the bet part three

set in: au (age 17)

word count: 5,472

not proof read

HOPEFULLY IT WORKS THIS TIME BECAUSE IT'S MY THIRD TIME REPOSTING @WATTPAD FUCK YOUUUU

HOPEFULLY IT WORKS THIS TIME BECAUSE IT'S MY THIRD TIME REPOSTING @WATTPAD FUCK YOUUUU

Stiles rubbed his hands over his face, wondering when exactly his life became so... complicated. He'd never been happier being in a relationship with Harper, yet the weight of the world seemed to be on his shoulders. It was nothing she could fix-- he was pretty sure she would hate him if she ever found out, in fact. So he hid his emotions the best he could, and it turned out he was pretty good at it.

"I can't believe we've been together for nearly two months," Harper breathed happily. "Time's going by so quickly."

"I know," Stiles agreed, tightening the grip his arm had around her shoulders, gently forcing her to rest her head on him as they walked through the mall. "Two months next week, right?"

He said it as if he didn't know-- as if his friends didn't remind him every single day. Since the talk he'd had with Isaac and Theo a couple of days ago, Stiles hadn't spoken to them, but he felt the pressure. Scott was pleading with him to just tell Harper the truth, but Stiles didn't want to risk it.

He didn't want a relationship built on lies, but he sure as hell didn't want to lose Harper; she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Not only did she get on well with his father, but she took interest in all of the things he liked and she always helped him study things he didn't understand.

"Yeah," Harper grinned, reaching up and holding the hand dangling over her shoulder. "And just a month until school ends, thank god."

"We should hang out all summer," Stiles proposed as they walked by the fountain in the centre of the mall, people chatting and walking around them. "My dad's always most busy when all the kids are out of school, so I'm always free."

The short brunette beamed. "Sounds like a good plan to me."

Stiles lifted his other hand which was holding his drink to his lips, taking a sip of the fizzy drink inside. His hazel eyes landed straight on two figures standing a few feet away, already looking back at him. He felt his heart plummet in his chest, eyes widening a little at the sight of Theo and Isaac.

No, no, no. Not here. Not now.

Before he could even try and lead Harper away, he felt her head shift against his arm and her mouth open. "Hey, aren't those your friends?"

Stiles grimaced. "I wouldn't call them friends... Scott's my friend. Them? They're not my friends."

"They're waving you over," Harper said, snapping him out of his small rant.

He internally groaned as Theo started to head over, Isaac right behind like some sort of lost-- but very smug-- puppy. They paused in front of them and Stiles swore his heart had stopped beating already, hating the way Theo stared Harper down with a sly grin. He hated all of this so much.

"Stiles," Theo greeted. "This must be Harper."

Stiles noticed the small bruise around his eye from where he had punched him the other day, but he didn't say anything.

Harper smiled innocently, pulling away from Stiles' grip to shake hands with him. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Theo," he chuckled. "You already know Isaac from your English class, right?"

"Right," Harper confirmed, sending the taller boy a smile.

"What are you guys doing here?" Stiles frowned, unable to keep his resentment back, earning a slightly strange look from his girlfriend.

"Shopping," Isaac answered obviously. "But we won't keep you two for long. I bet you have lots to do."

"Yeah, we do," Stiles wrapped his arm back around Harper before she could say anything. "I'll see you Monday."

Harper frowned in confusion when Stiles started to pull her away, watching as the two other teenagers stared behind them. Something didn't sit right with her about them, even if Isaac had been quite nice to her on her first day. It was mainly Theo-- she didn't like the way he smiled at her like he knew something she didn't.

"That was weird," she voiced her thoughts.

"As I said, I don't really like them," Stiles huffed, glancing over his shoulder to find that, thankfully, they were long gone. "They're both jerks."

She gripped his hand. "Oh. Hey, can we go dress shopping real quick? I swear I'll be half an hour maximum, I just need to get an outfit for Lydia's end of school party."

He always seemed to forget that Harper was popular. She didn't act snobby like Lydia or rude like Jackson, she was more the down to earth sort like Allison was, and she was so kind and gentle too. It didn't matter if you weren't on the lacrosse team-- or, in Stiles' case, on the bench-- she still spoke to you like a human. Whenever she spoke about her school friends it never failed to throw him off.

"When's that?" He asked, having heard nothing about it before.

"Last day of school," Harper replied, eyes scanning the shops around them for the perfect one. "You are coming, right? I know you have social anxiety so I get it if you don't really want to, but we don't have to hang out in the crowds if it makes you feel better--"

Stiles paused in his tracks, holding Harper's arms and forcing her to stop too. His hazel eyes melted with adoration, hands smoothing up and down her skin as he smiled. He couldn't help it-- his heart swelled just looking at her.

"I'll be there."

...

"I know what I have to do," Stiles huffed as he sat on call with Scott, not peeling his eyes from the screen where he was playing video games.

"Tell Harper the truth?"

"What?" Stiles' face scrunched up. "No, that's suicide, dude. I just have to lose the bet. Yeah, that's a hundred bucks down the drain, but then technically the bet's still on and I'm not Theo and Isaac's little puppet."

"I mean, that's better than fucking her and leaving her," Scott shrugged, obvious distaste littering his tone as he spoke.

Stiles visibly cringed, fingers pausing their movements on his remote for a second. "Okay, okay, I know what I said was gross, but that was before I knew her."

"That doesn't make it any better--"

"I know, okay! I know," he heard someone come running up the stairs, the footsteps a lot lighter than his dad's, so he paused the game, listening out with a small frown, brows tugging downwards when there was a knock at his door. "Scotty, I gotta go, bud. Come in!"

He hung up the call with his best friend, eyes widening when the door opened to reveal a tear-stained Harper. His heart practically shattered in his chest, the feeling of dread filling his stomach and making him feel sick. He stood from the carpeted floor, knees nearly shaking beneath him.

Oh god, she knew.

"Harper?" He asked wearily when she hadn't spoken for a second or two. "What's wrong?"

She started to cry harder and when she darted forwards, stumbling into his arms, Stiles hated that he felt relief-- relief that she wasn't mad at him. He could already feel the hot tears soaking through his graphic tee, her grip on him weak as her frame shook. He tried to hold her together, brushing his fingers through her hair as he whispered sweet nothings.

"Hey, hey, hey. You're okay, you're okay," he mumbled, leading them towards his bed so they could sit more comfortably. "Harper, breathe with me, yeah? You're okay."

The brunette obeyed what he was saying, her heavy breaths slowly becoming shallow and quiet, little whimpers escaping her as she fiddled with the back of his shirt. Stiles hated this so much, feeling like he could start crying just seeing her so broken, especially when she was normally so happy.

"What happened?" He asked after a few minutes, not stopping the soothing motions he was making with his fingers on her arm.

Harper sniffled as she looked up at him, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands. Her eyes were rimmed red and her cheeks looked sore so Stiles guessed she's been crying for a while now.

"My grandma," she whimpered. "She has- she- she just got diagnosed with cancer."

Stiles felt like the breath had been knocked out of his lungs, hazel eyes growing larger as he immediately grabbed Harper, holding her even tighter. He felt tears brim as she started to cry harder again, but he only let one or two slip, wanting to look after his girlfriend who must feel so brokenhearted, especially considering that Rose was all she had left.

He did the best that he could to make her feel better. It took hours and hours of cuddling and putting on her favourite films in the background. She didn't seem to watch them, either staring at the wall beside his laptop or fiddling with his hands instead. Stiles couldn't bring himself to watch them either, eventually shutting the lid of the device.

"Let's order Chinese food, yeah?" He offered, grabbing his phone from his bedside table. "I know it's your favourite."

Harper sent him a weak, shaky smile. "I don't know... I don't really feel like eating."

"Not even that chow mein you really loved?"

He watched her nose twitch a little and knew she was breaking. "Okay, maybe only a small one..."

Stiles chuckled and ordered them some food-- ordering more than just the chow mein. He knew once Harper had eaten a little that she would probably feel better and want more. He was right too, the two of them pigging out until Sheriff Stilinski popped his head around the door to tell them that he was heading to the station about an hour later.

"Maybe this is way too early to say this, but I think I might love you, Stiles," Harper whispered, catching her boyfriend totally off guard from where he was fiddling with his laptop, trying to find a film for them to watch.

He moved spastically, the device nearly springing into the air as he snapped his head in her direction at the speed of lightning, an inhumane noise escaping his lips.

"Did... did you just say that you think you love me?" He squeaked, earning a small nod and giggle. His eyes softened, shoulders sagging in relief. "Really?"

Harper nodded again. "How couldn't I?"

Stiles moved over to her, grabbing her smaller hands in his and squeezing them gently. "I know I love you, Harper. More than anything-- even if we haven't known each other for long. You're... you're so important to me."

Harper's face brightened for the first time that day and she leaned onto her knees to grab his face. Stiles barely had a chance to react as their lips collided, heads tilting comfortably and tongues battling each other. It was more heated than any kiss they had ever shared before, Stiles' heart leaping in his chest as Harper pushed him back down on the bed slowly, moving to straddle him.

"You're so beautiful," Stiles whispered breathlessly against her neck as he smoothed his hands down the curves of her body, breath hitching when he felt her start to kiss down his neck. "Can I?" He tugged a little at her top.

Harper nodded, sitting up so that Stiles could pull the top off of her body, the boy beneath her sitting up too, lips kissing every inch of skin he could find.

And the rest... the rest was real. Not part of the bet.

...

When Stiles arrived at school the next Monday, he was more than eager to meet up with his best friend and tell him the news. He remembered the day that Scott came to school and admitted he'd lost his virginity to Allison. Stiles had been so excited for him, insisting that they had a pizza night to celebrate that Scott was finally a man-- because apparently that was what being a man meant.

"Why are you so happy?" Scott frowned from where he stood by his locker. "You're never happy on a Monday morning."

Stiles shrugged with a grin. "Your best friend may or may not have lost his V-card last weekend."

He watched as Scott's eyes widened, his jaw-dropping. "What!?" He practically yelled, earning a few weird looks from people passing by. "You seriously went through with the bet, Stiles? I thought you said--"

"What?" Stiles hissed, grabbing Scott's shirt and pulling him closer. "No, dude. It wasn't about the bet. I was- I wasn't even thinking about the bet before, after, or during it."

Scott's eyes softened and his shoulders sagged with relief. It was no secret that Scott totally hated what Stiles had agreed to do to Harper, even more when he finally met his girlfriend's friend and realised the Verum girl was actually totally pure and undeserving of it. Not to mention, Allison would kill him if she ever found out he knew about the stupid bet.

"What's this I hear about you losing your V-card?"

Stiles' eyes shut, a small groan escaping his lips before he forced himself to turn around. Isaac stood there, raised brows and his arms folded across his chest. Theo was right beside him, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"None of your business," Stiles snapped.

Theo laughed as Stiles started to turn back around to Scott. "I told you he was still a virgin, Isaac. No way would Harper ever want to go that far with him. She's probably saving herself for a real man, like me."

Scott glared. "Theo--"

"Actually," Stiles hissed furiously, unable to hold back. "She did." He grabbed Theo's shirt. "And if you don't watch your mouth, I'll give you another black eye."

Isaac chuckled dryly as he peeled Stiles' hand off of Theo. "That's three hundred bucks to you, Stiles. Good going, man. Didn't think you had it in you."

The Stilinski boy watched uncomfortably as Isaac and Theo both opened their wallets and handed him the money that they owed. He looked down at the three hundred dollars in his hands in slight amazement. Part of him didn't believe they would ever actually give it to him, but there it was.

"I don't want it," he lied. "You keep it."

"No, no, no," Theo closed Stiles' hands around the green notes. "Keep it, we insist. Get yourself a nice outfit for Lydia's end of school party or something."

Stiles didn't like the way Theo said it, or the way the two boys laughed after. He hesitantly placed it in his back pocket, guessing that three hundred dollars was better than none at all. He didn't want to fix his car with it, though. He felt so guilty that he knew exactly where it was going-- he was going to get Harper something nice. He owed her that at least.

The bell rang, stopping any more awkward conversations. Stiles barely glanced at the two boys as he moved with Scott to their first period, already thinking about how he was going to see Harper at lunch.

...

TWO WEEKS LATER.

"It's looking really bad," Harper sighed as she slumped down next to her boyfriend. "They said they found it way too late and they don't think there's anything they can do at this point."

By now, Harper was a little fed up with crying. Her eyes seemed to be dry from all of the tears she had cried, but her voice still shook whenever she spoke about her sick grandmother. All she wanted was for Rose to be okay, but she knew she had to admit to herself that it wasn't going to happen.

Stiles reached down and connected their hands. "I wish I could do something."

"I know, me too," the brunette breathed, watching students pass by them from where they sat on the grass outside the school. "By the way, we probably only have twenty minutes before Lydia finds me and drags me away."

He chuckled. "Noted."

They sat there for a few minutes before Stiles seemed to start fidgeting. Harper noticed he'd been a little nervous today, even when he picked her up for school, but especially now. Before she could ask if he was okay, her boyfriend reached behind him and grabbed his backpack, unzipping it.

Plenty of junk sat amongst his school books, but wrapped neatly at the very top was a small box. Harper raised her eyebrows at him when he handed it over, sending her a nervous smile.

"For me?" She asked, confused.

Stiles nodded eagerly. "Yeah, for you. I- I, um, I totally get it if you don't like it, I wasn't really sure what your taste was--"

He was interrupted by a small gasp when Harper finally got the paper off and opened the box up. Inside was a dainty bracelet themed around stars, and it looked like it cost at least a couple hundred of dollars. Harper's hand covered her mouth as she looked at him.

"Stiles!" She threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Are you kidding me? It's beautiful."

The hazel-eyed boy released a sigh of relief, taking the box from her hands and delicately taking it out. He took her hand in his other and slipped it on, smiling.

"It suits you," he said.

Harper examined it with eager eyes before she held the back of his head, fingers gliding through his buzzcut as she brought him into a kiss. It was fairly short considering the fact that they were at school, but Stiles still understood exactly what she was trying to say.

"I love you," she whispered, their foreheads still touching as they pulled apart.

"I love you too," Stiles murmured, brushing some of her hair behind her ear and giving her one last peck.

"Ahem," a voice came from above them as the sun was blocked out, Lydia standing there with her hands on her hips. "Harper, we have to talk about my end of school party."

The brunette discretely rolled her eyes so only Stiles could see, making him smile in amusement. They grabbed hands as they helped each other off of the grass. Harper brushed herself down before she looked back at her boyfriend.

"Meet me after school?" She asked.

Stiles nodded eagerly. "Of course."

Harper leaned on her toes to kiss his cheek before she jogged over to Lydia, linking their arms. Stiles watched as she headed off into the distance, gripping his backpack with a smile. Everything was finally looking up without Theo and Isaac looming over their relationship, except for the Rose thing of course. But Stiles would be there for her-- he was sure of it.

"I've put Allison in charge of music now, by the way," Lydia told Harper, making the girl pout. "Look, some of your music is just so... depressing. And nobody wants to grind on the dancefloor to Harry Styles."

"Ur, I totally would!"

...

TWO WEEKS LATER.

"I don't know if I should go," Harper told Allison from where she was slowly getting ready in her bedroom, her fingers fiddling with the bracelet Stiles had given her a couple of weeks back.

She only ever took it off when she showered, wearing it even when she had long sleeves on. Harper was totally in love with it, her heart skipping a beat whenever she noticed it on her wrist because it made her think of who had given it to her. Stiles was just so... so perfect for her. Harper never thought she could be this lucky.

"Lydia will kill you, Harps," Allison reminded her cautiously. "She's been planning this for nearly two months and everybody's gonna be there."

"I know," Harper sighed, putting the teenager on speaker and placing her phone on her desk before she moved to stand in the mirror. "It's just... I hate leaving my grandma home alone. She's so bad right now, Ally. I don't-" her voice cracked but she swallowed, closing her eyes. "I don't think I have much longer with her."

It was quiet on the other end of the phone. "I get that. Listen, we all want you here, but if you want to stay home with your grandma then I think Lydia will understand."

Harper smiled a little. "Thanks, Ally." Her eyes widened when she saw her grandma stood in the doorway. "I gotta go. Talk to you later."

She hung up, looking at the frail old woman. Harper rushed over, placing her hand on Rose's back. "Grandma, you shouldn't be out of bed, Nurse McCall said--"

"I heard you talking about a party," Rose croaked with an eager grin. "So what are you wearing?"

"I'm not going--"

"You're going," Rose cut her off. "Let me see you dressed up, Harper. Let me curl your hair for you. I want to see you happy, sweetheart."

Harper's eyes nearly welled with tears but she took a deep breath, exhaling shakily as she nodded. "Okay. Okay, grandma."

...

"You look..." Stiles' eyes were wide as he cleared his throat, shaking his head. "You look beautiful, Harper."

The brunette blushed, glancing down at the burgundy dress that she was wearing and smoothing it out. It was just a slip dress and she'd put a white tee on underneath, a pair of white trainers on her feet and her hair and makeup down flawlessly. Meanwhile, Stiles had some khaki pants on and a plaid shirt, somehow managing to still be the most handsome boy in the world to Harper.

"You look handsome," Harper grabbed his hand, shutting the door behind her as they headed towards the jeep. "Is that a new cologne?"

He nodded. "Armani."

"Whoa," she opened the passenger side and sent him a teasing grin as she opened the door. "Where'd you get the money for that, Mr Billionaire?"

Stiles' hands froze, the key motionless in the ignition as he hesitated, face growing hot. "Um..."

"It was just a joke," Harper sent him a strange look. "You haven't been prostituting yourself, right?"

"No!" Stiles choked, forcing a small laugh. "Just, like, chores and stuff. I've been saving up for a while now anyway."

Harper hummed, barely acknowledging his words as she moved forward to turn up the radio. Stiles' hazel eyes flickered from the road to the silver bracelet around her wrist, a proud smile covering his pale face. He loved seeing her wear it, or the way it looked when she'd brush her hair out of her face, or how it was cold against his wrist whenever they held hands.

The couple spoke about nothing and whatever, singing along as their favourite songs played on the radio, Stiles even using the steering wheel as a drum occasionally. When they pulled up, the road was packed with familiar cars they'd seen in the car park at school, the largest house down the street practically vibrating with loud music as teenagers flooded in and out of it.

"Here we are," Stiles smiled, turning off the engine and dropping his keys into his back pocket.

The pair climbed out of the jeep and met around the front, walking hand in hand towards the large party. Some sort of rap song was playing, one that Harper couldn't recognise if she tried, and bodies were everywhere, the stench of alcohol and weed in the air.

"There you are," Lydia grinned, handing them both drinks in red solo cups. "Ally said you might not be coming."

"Changed my mind," Harper shrugged, raising the alcohol to her lips and taking a small swig.

"Enjoy the party," Lydia called as she headed over to Jackson, the pair almost immediately tackling each other into a makeout session against the staircase.

Harper cringed, looking away. Stiles squeezed her hand as she started to lead them to where the crowd was a little less dense. Teenagers were chanting by a ping pong table, some obvious beer pong going on, and on the other side of the living room, teenagers were taking shot after shot.

"Do you wanna dance?" Stiles yelled over the music, making Harper nod.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as the pair danced together, laughing and pausing to just kiss-- having nothing better to do. Besides, nobody was paying attention to them, they were just another couple in the crowd. At least they weren't practically having sex with each other like Allison and Scott were about fifty feet away. There was no groping involved.

Song after song, Harper and Stiles danced and kissed and drank however much they wanted, occasionally meeting Scott and Allison to do small drinking games or just jump around to bops that played. It only took an hour or so before Harper felt the urge to pee, shooting her boyfriend an apologetic smile.

"I gotta use the bathroom," she spoke, leaning on her toes to kiss his lips. They were warm and tasted like the alcohol they'd been consuming. "I'll be right back."

"Do you want me to come with you?" He frowned worriedly.

Harper shook her head. "I'll be okay!"

The brunette started to move upstairs, this time being conscious of all of the people surrounding her. If another Aiden incident happened, there was no saying she'd be lucky enough to have Stiles around like the last time. Luckily, she was fine, making it to the bathroom in time and doing her business before she left.

Before she could reach the staircase to go down and rejoin Scott, Allison, and Stiles, she heard a voice call her name, making her turn. She sent a drunken smile to Isaac and Theo, waving as she stopped in her tracks.

"Hi, guys," Harper greeted.

Theo held a frown on his face, not smiling back. "Harper... We have to tell you something."

Isaac nodded in agreement. "We hate to be the ones to tell you, but we realised we went too far. Since Stiles was going to keep lying, we thought you deserved to know the truth..."

...

Harper's heart was pounding so hard she swore she was about to go into cardiac arrest. Her hands shook and her head felt dizzy as she stumbled down the staircase of the Martin household, feeling like she was about to pass out. Suddenly, nothing was making sense to her, everything that had happened in the past three months was hard to make sense of.

Was she really that stupid?

Harper barely glanced up as she tried to pass through all of the bodies on the first floor of the house. She was trying to get to the door, wanting nothing more than to go home when she heard a familiar voice call her name. Allison was jogging to catch up with her, Scott and Stiles right behind.

As soon as Harper saw her boyfriend, her heart clenched and tears brimmed her brown eyes. The air had been sucked from her lungs and her heart had been ripped out, smashed to pieces and stomped on like it was some joke. All three teenagers looked at her worriedly.

"Hey," Stiles frowned, reaching forward to place his hand on her shoulder. "Did something--"

"Get off of me!" Harper suddenly yelled, making the Stilinski boy jump. "Don't- don't bloody touch me."

Scott and Stiles exchanged guilty looks, knowing immediately that Harper had somehow found out. Stiles felt nearly as sick as Harper did, eyes watering as he sucked in a breath, retracting his hand like it had been burnt.

"Harper..." His voice cracked.

"What happened?" Allison ordered, feeling left out of the loop. "Hello? Is anyone gonna let me know--"

"Stiles has been playing me the whole time!" Harper snapped, finally allowing for the tears to fall and cascade down her cheeks. "He- he- he slept with me for a bet with his friends, for three hundred fucking dollars!"

Allison gasped loudly, appalled and shocked. She turned to Scott and slapped him around the face, causing the McCall boy to groan and hold his cheek, taking a step back.

"Hey, I wasn't the one betting him!" Scott protested.

"But you knew?" Allison seethed, starting an argument between the couple.

Harper scoffed and turned on her heel, marching towards the door. She ignored Stiles' cries of her name, wishing he would just shut up and leave her the hell alone. As soon as she was out in the fresh air, his hand planted on her arm and gently made her turn around.

She smacked his hand off of her, glaring. "Don't... Just don't, Stiles," Harper sobbed. "Leave me alone. I don't- I don't even know who you are."

"That was all me, Harper," Stiles pleaded with her, continuing to follow her down the path. "Everything I ever said- it was never a lie. It was all me."

"Tell me you didn't actually take the money," Harper begged, feeling stupid for being stood in the middle of the pavement with tears streaming down her face.

Stiles hesitated, making Harper start to cry a little more. "I- I didn't want to! But I didn't spend it on me, I bought the bracelet for you--"

"Oh my god," Harper breathed, her left hand reaching to wrap around the silver.

The hazel-eyed boy's heart shattered as he watched her tug it apart, the fragile jewellery snapping and falling straight to the concrete below. It felt like she was stomping on his heart as she started to mush it into the floor with her shoe.

"You make me sick, Stiles," she spat out, jaw trembling. "I- I really hate you."

"No," Stiles whispered, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands. "No, you don't mean that, Harper. This- this is all just one big misunderstanding, and I can explain everything--"

Harper gritted her teeth. "You told me you loved me and had sex with me the day I found out my grandma was dying, you bastard! I bet you were waiting for me to be all vulnerable so you could sleep with me and collect your money. You said you were gonna 'fuck me and leave me!'"

"No, no, no," Stiles' large hands reached to hold hers, but she tugged them away, disgusted. "It wasn't like that. When- when I was with you, I wasn't thinking about the bet. None of that had anything to do with the bet. And when I said I loved you, I was telling the truth. Harper, please, listen to me when I tell you I love you-"

"How can I ever trust you again?" She whimpered. "Do you realise how stupid you've made me look? You lied to me for months, Stiles. You- you manipulated me and broke my heart."

"Please," he cried, "please, just tell me what I can do to make this better. I'll do it. I'll do anything, Harper. Just... Harper, tell me how to fix this, all right? Please, just tell me. What do you want me to do?"

Harper swallowed thickly as she stared at him, not even feeling guilty about how broken he looked. No matter how bad he felt, Harper was nearly a hundred percent sure that she felt a hundred times worse.

"I want you to leave me alone," Harper croaked. "I want us to pretend that whatever relationship we had... it never happened."

Stiles opened his mouth to protest, but Harper held a finger up. He said nothing as he watched her turn on her heel and start to walk down the pavement, her figure growing smaller and smaller the further she got. He dropped his head into his hands and dropped down to the floor on his ass, fighting the urge to slam his fists into something.

His hand skimmed the broken bracelet that he had given to Harper and he picked it up, whimpering as he tried to hold the broken pieces together, but what was done was done.

It couldn't be fixed.

...


	13. Chapter 13

characters: stiles stilinski, harper stilinski, stilinski kids, scott mccall, mccall kids, noah stilinski

set in: CANON (age 30-32)

summary: not really any plot, just an intro to harper and stiles' children :)

requested? yepp! there's lots of people who wanted parent!starper, so here you go :) i'll try and do something with more of a plot for those who asked next time :)) 

The first Stilinski child was born one chilly afternoon in the middle of March, quickly becoming the most precious thing in the world to two high school sweethearts who had been eagerly awaiting the baby's arrival

The first Stilinski child was born one chilly afternoon in the middle of March, quickly becoming the most precious thing in the world to two high school sweethearts who had been eagerly awaiting the baby's arrival. The father had nearly passed out when he heard the baby's little wails for the first time, Stiles' hands trembling when the midwife handed his first child over to him and announced that Harper had birthed a happy and healthy little boy.

As Stiles glanced down at the baby's small face, and his little hands and feet, he started to cry, overwhelmed over how much he could love his son already. The midwife was watching with a small smile, just having cleaned his soft pink skin and placed a small blue hat on his head. Stiles' heart was pounding with so much happiness and he immediately turned to his wife who looked a mixture of exhausted and relieved.

Harper's brown eyes were brimming with tears as she watched her husband hold their newborn son, a lump in her throat when she heard a small noise come from the tiny infant. The brunette's hair was slightly sweaty from all of the work she'd had to do, and her petite frame ached all over-- but all she wanted to do was hold her baby boy.

Stiles moved closer, lifting his eyes from their son to bend down next to Harper, their faces only inches apart. Harper's cheeks became home to a few hot tears as Stiles gently passed their pride and joy over, onto Harper's chest for the skin-to-skin contact required after birth. The Empath's veins became home to so much happiness and relief that she felt electrified.

"Your baby will be able to hear your heartbeat this way, and they will recognise it from when they were in your womb," the midwife explained. "If you speak to him, he'll recognise your voice too."

Harper's pointed finger gently started to caress his face, a shaky smile on her own. "Hello, baby," the brunette whispered softly. "I'm your mummy, and this is your daddy."

Stiles' hand was stroking Harper's hair from where he was crouched beside her, the two of them admiring their child for what felt like hours but was only minutes.

"We did that." Stiles planted a kiss on Harper's forehead.

She smiled and leaned her head on Stiles' shoulder, not peeling her eyes away for a second. When the baby boy opened his eyes a little, both new parents gasped quietly, staring into the blinking brown eyes. They were definitely darker, more Harper's shade than Stiles', and he seemed to look around for a few moments, confused.

"He's just checking out his surroundings, probably not focusing on much," the midwife mentioned, but it wasn't like Stiles didn't already know-- he'd done so much research on babies that he was pretty sure he knew more than Harper did.

Somehow, he guessed she was probably going to be the chill parent-- which he didn't imagine as a teenager, but he guessed his teenage self had been a little delusional when he came up with the future he swore he'd have with Harper. Of course, this seemed to be even better than anything he'd imagined though.

"Do you have a name for him yet?"

Harper and Stiles tore their gaze away from the bundle in Harper's arms to look at each other. The couple had spent hours going through names that they liked and disliked, and Harper was surprisingly fussy over what she wanted, growing genuinely offended when Stiles suggested one that she didn't like-- especially when he asked if they could name their child after a Star Wars character.

"Orion," Stiles whispered, knowing that Harper had fallen in love with the name as soon as she heard it.

Whilst Harper had been determined to name their first child after her grandmother, she also thought it was a little too old for Harper's taste, and that's when she'd stumbled upon astrological names on some baby-naming website. Late one night months into her pregnancy, they listed off all of the ones that they thought were tacky, and Harper ended up falling in love with Orion, one of the most important constellations in the sky-- which of course was a reminder of Rose.

His wife smiled, nodding quickly. "Orion Stilinski," she whispered, her finger moving to fiddle with Orion's small hand as Stiles wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

However, the day that their family was truly completed was the day that the second Stilinski was born two years later on an equally as chilly November evening. While Sheriff Stilinski babysat his grandson, Stiles stayed with Harper for the entire twelve hours of stress-inducing, painful labour, rarely ever letting go of her hand unless it was needed.

She was a small baby, given that she was a couple of weeks early, but there was thankfully nothing to worry about. The parents were just as overwhelmed by their baby girl as they had been Orion, plenty of tears being shed and hugs being given. They already knew what they wanted to call her if she was a girl-- and they were pretty sure their best friend was going to appreciate it.

"Again!?" Scott yelled, jumping up and down as he looked between his two best friends. "Hell yeah!"

Harper and Stiles were laughing as they were wrapped into the werewolf's arms in a tight hug. Orion, who had just turned a year old, was sat with Scott's daughter who was the same age, born only two weeks after, and Lucas, Scott's son, sat beside them, bossing them around as the oldest, even if they didn't really understand what he was saying.

"Are Uncle Stiles and Auntie Harper happy?" The five-year-old asked, peeling away from the younger children as he came storming over to the three adults.

"Yep," Harper grinned as she crouched down next to him. "You're gonna have another cousin, Lucas!"

"Yay!" Lucas squealed, running around before he grabbed Stiles' leg and hugged it. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"What do you think it is, buddy?" Stiles asked, leaning down so he was level with the child too. "Boy or girl?"

"I hope it's a boy like me and Orion," Lucas spoke eagerly. "Not a girl like Evelyn."

Stiles chuckled and ruffled his ebony hair, never failing to be amazed by how eerily similar he looked like Scott as a kid. They even had the same uneven jawline, though it was strong like Allison's, and his eyes were more her hazel than his brown.

"What do you think, Lucas?" Scott kneeled down too. "Do you think Harper and Stiles should name your cousin after me?"

Lucas' face lit up and he giggled. "Not 'daddy!'"

"No," Scott chuckled. "Like daddy's real name."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Stiles shot the werewolf a look. "We are so not naming our kid after you, dude."

"Scotty's gonna have a heart attack," Harper giggled, fiddling with her hand.

Stiles watched his daughter carefully, hazel eyes melting as her tiny hands rested by Harper's collarbones, the pink hat on her head making her look even smaller than she already was. He pressed a kiss to Harper's temple, sitting half on the bed as the midwives cleaned up around them.

"Hello, Scout," Stiles whispered gently. "Welcome to our world."

Harper grinned, brushing away some tears as she held her baby a little tighter, being careful not to hurt her. It only felt appropriate to tribute their best friend somehow, even if the werewolf's comments had been a joke. Scott meant a lot to the two of them, and he had literally saved their lives so many times. They owed him so much more than just this, but they knew he'd like the gesture.

"She's gonna look like you," Stiles said, adjusting the light blanket on top of her.

The brunette raised a brow. "Oh yeah? How do you know that?"

"Because Orion looks like me."

"Is that how it works, then?" Harper teased.

"I can tell," Stiles insisted. "Father instincts. Plus, she's already so beautiful. She's going to take after you for sure."

Harper peered up at him through her long lashes and shook her head. "You're such a kiss arse, Stilinski," she muttered, pulling him in for a kiss.

...

Sheriff Stilinski held a hand over his heart as Harper walked through the door with pink blankets in her arms, Stiles' arm wrapped around her shoulders as he made sure she got into their home okay. The grandfather could feel his blue eyes watering as Stiles took Scout from Harper's arms and let her sit down on the couch to take a breather.

"Can I?" Noah questioned.

Stiles nodded at his dad, carefully placing Scout in the older man's arms. Noah cooed, acting like he wasn't about to cry as he sniffled and grinned, rocking the baby girl back and forth a little bit.

"She's so beautiful," Noah whispered.

"I wanna see! I wanna see!" Orion came bounding through the doors, pulling at his grandfather's trousers to try and get him to bend down.

Orion was nearly three-years-old and full of life, never seeming to shut up. Everybody knew that he was going to be exactly like his father, not just in looks, and the sheriff always laughed, insisting that it was karma for everything that he had to put up with.

"You can hold her if you're gentle, okay?" Stiles warned his son, taking Scout from Noah's arms and bending down.

Harper moved to join them, the family of three welcoming the fourth member as Stiles guided Orion's arms into the right position. Since he was still quite small, they had him sit on the ground so he was more supporting Scout than holding her, the baby resting against his arms and legs.

"What do you think, Orion?" Harper whispered, stroking his back as she watched him look down at his baby sister in awe.

"She's nice," was all Orion whispered, his voice a weird mix of an English accent and an American accent. 

He would definitely grow out of it as soon as he started kindergarten, but like many children who had two parents with different accents, Harper and Stiles noticed that he was constantly going in and out, pronouncing words he had obviously learnt from his mother with more of an English accent, while everything else was American.

"Just nice?" Harper teased. "So I spent nine months cooking her in my stomach for you to say she's just nice, huh?"

Orion giggled. "I don't know her, mummy!"

"You will, buddy," Stiles ruffled the blond hair on his head which was quickly turning dark to match his parents'. "In fact, I bet the two of you will be best friends."

Harper smiled, watching as Orion took Stiles' words into account and looked down at his little sister, brown eyes softening as he played with her fingers. Stiles held onto his wife as she leaned her head against his shoulder, the two of them watching their children happily.


	14. Chapter 14

CHARACTERS: Harper Verum, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall

SET IN: canon (between s4 and s5)

SUMMARY: headcannon of the road trip mentioned in runaway (start of season 5)

"In particular, the last three months had been the best. Unlike all of her previous summers, Harper didn't go back to England. Instead, she spent her first full summer in California. The heat was a lot, but she wasn't complaining. She, Stiles Stilinski, and Scott McCall had all gone on a road trip to kickstart their vacation. While Kira and Malia had gone away, Isaac had straight-up refused to spend hours in the jeep with Stiles, and Lydia 'didn't feel like it', so it was just the terrific trio."

bold- scott italics- harper underlined-stiles   
bold- scott   
italics- harper   
underlined-stiles 

\- okay so

\- obviously stiles wanted to do something with his two best friends over summer

\- he had always insisted on some sort of vacation with just the three of them, ever since he learnt to drive and got the jeep

\- they'd just never had the money or been mature enough to leave beacon hills without their parents

\- but this was their last chance before their senior year to do something fun as best friends

\- because the closer and closer their senior year got, the more sad stiles got

\- he hated change and while he loved their new friends, nothing could beat just chilling out with scott and harper

\- it was like old times before all of the supernatural drama

\- they were his ride or die, you know

\- so this road trip NEEDED to happen

\- when stiles found out kira was going to new york for the summer he was so happy because it meant scott had nothing better to do

\- he knew harper would give in if he bugged her enough

\- plus she'd teased the idea a few times in the past

\- so stiles proposed the idea to harper first

\- and of course she was more than excited

\- "oh my gosh! should i make us all matching shirts??? how cute would that be?"

\- "babe... no."

\- scott was a lot harder to convince

\- he tried to let down stiles easy, but even when he started to get mad, stiles didn't back down

\- "scott, what the hell else are you gonna do all summer? kira's going to new york and you'll be all by yourself."

\- "i am NOT third wheeling you and harps."

\- so stiles got harper involved OBVIOUSLY

\- because if scott wouldn't give in to stiles, he would end up giving into harper

\- "harper... stop looking at me like that. i said no."

\- "oh my god, harps. are you seriously crying?"

\- stiles was listening outside scott's door

\- biting his fingers to stop himself from laughing

\- scott's just so gullible, come on

\- harper finally got him to agree and came out smirking, wiping the fake tears from her face

\- scott heard them high five

\- "you assholes!"

\- they ended up on the road trip within the first week of summer anyway

\- harper didn't make shirts but she got them pins

\- she had made them (ofc) and they were a joke but scott still kept his on all summer

\- stiles pinned his to his hat

\- they made a collab playlist on spotify and blasted their favourite music all the way, as loud as the jeep's radio let them

\- "harper, this is the eighth the neighbourhood song. they're depressing!"

\- "well maybe i don't want to listen to your shitty emo music, scott!"

\- "it's not shit-"

\- "GUYS!"

\- stiles had to break up a lot of brother-sister fights WHILST driving

\- he was always amused tho

\- mainly at the fact that HE was being the peacekeeper

\- "oh my god stiles did you just fart?"

\- harper forced them to pull over way too many times when this happened

\- because they always smelt so bad and the car was way too small for that shit

\- she swore girls didn't fart

\- so she felt SO bloated for the first few days

\- "just do it!" "do it! do it! do it!"

\- harper smacked them every single time

\- "you're such a pervert stiles. why would you want to hear that??"

\- "funny."

\- they took pictures at every sight that they saw

\- with harper's polaroid camera of course

\- and she stuck them to the walls in the back of the jeep until they got home

\- when it was her turn to drive the boys were always so nervous

\- especially since she had only been driving for a few months prior

\- "slow down, woman!"

\- "don't call me 'woman' or i'll drive us off this cliff."

\- yeah, they didn't let her drive for very long

\- not that harper complained

\- she loved her backseat 'cause she was short enough to lay across it pretty comfortably

\- "harper, it's my turn in the back."

\- harper getting pissed off because she was ALWAYS forced to be in the back whenever the trio drove to school

\- "oh, so NOW you want the back seat???"

\- "you can have the aux cord!"

\- they had a lot of bonfires

\- when the boys found out harper had never had smores before they stopped at a gas station and got all the stuff

\- she always burnt all the marshmallows

\- so stiles did it for her

\- "they're not THAT good."

\- scott and stiles were offended

\- stiles also insisted on being in control of the fire every single time

\- so sometimes they nearly burnt down everything

\- they had a tent that was big enough for four people

\- setting it up had been a real struggle at first

\- "just hand me that part, dumbass."

\- "if we had just read the instructions--"

\- "we don't need instructions, scott!"

\- "clearly we do, stiles!"

\- harper be like: i just sit back and observe

\- she stepped in and they fixed it

\- "where would you two even be without me??? god."

\- scott's only rule was that he slept in between them so that they didn't do it while he was in the tent

\- most nights stiles just climbed over scott and cuddled harper once the werewolf had fallen asleep

\- THEY NEVER DID IT WITH SCOTT THERE

\- sometimes they were too lazy to set up the tent so they stayed in motels

\- cheap motels

\- like glen capri bad

\- but less werewolf suicide

\- one time scott and stiles wouldn't stop having a farting competition in the tent

\- even when harper snapped they were still laughing and trying to make the loudest ones

\- so she went to try and sleep in the back of the jeep

\- stiles went and got her after a couple of minutes

\- "babe, i promise we will stop farting."

\- harper ended up shedding tears because she was on her period and missed her bed

\- "it just smells SO bad!" whilst nearly sobbing

\- stiles thought she was genuinely having a breakdown over the two of them gassing the tent up

\- very concerned boyfriend!stiles

\- but harper told him she was just hormonal and missing her bed once she'd recovered

\- and scott and stiles bought her fruit pots and yoghurt in the morning from a gas station for breakfast to say sorry

\- so harper quickly felt better

\- they ended up stopping at loads of cool places

\- and lots of beaches

\- when stiles went to the bathroom harper buried scott in the sand and made him jump out at stiles when he got back

\- so stiles filled their belongings with sand

\- that backfired when they got into the jeep

\- "there's sand in places where sand should not be right now."

\- overall it was more jokes than it was fighting

\- the trio was excited to get back home tho

\- the ride home felt so long

\- but harper immediately pinned all of her polaroids up

\- "they look cute, bubba. i told you it would be a good idea."

\- this took ten minutes whoa i am giving up writing and doing headcannons from now on

\- just kidding


	15. Chapter 15

Title: No such thing as a perfect childhood

Summary: It's Stiles' turn to look after Harper when her parents die.

'One based around finding out her parents were shot and Stiles comforting her, or the other way around when Stiles' mum dies and she comforts him.' - larae333

Set: CANON (age 12)

Word Count: 2.2k words

Not proof read because im soooo lazy its a problem honestly

The last time Stiles had seen Harper she'd been sobbing so hard he thought she was going to suffocate on her own tears. He had tears streaming down his cheeks too, his heart pounding rapidly and his hands clawing for his dad's jacket as he begged to understand.

It was supposed to be just a normal school day. The three twelve-year-olds had just won the art competition and beat Jackson while they were at it, bouncing off the school bus and heading to the Verum household to celebrate.

"I'm gonna get more paint brushes with my voucher," Harper told both boys as she walked in between them down the sidewalk, holding the fifteen dollar paper in her hand. "And paint. Yellow paint."

Scott turned his nose up, glancing towards the girl who was the same height as him. "Yellow paint? Yellow's the worst colour ever."

Harper pouted slightly and Stiles quickly jumped to her defence. "Shut up, Scott. Yellow's a nice colour."

Scott squinted his eyes between the pair, shaking his head. It was so gross when Stiles stuck up for Harper all the time, even if she could stand up for herself. Stiles even went through a phase where he got jealous of Scott just for sitting next to her.

No offense to Harper, but Scott didn't see what was so special about her that Stiles was so in love with her. Actually, Scott didn't think any girl in his grade was worth having a crush over. Crushes were gross and Stiles had the biggest one ever-- on Scott's best friend and basically sister.

It was so obvious to everybody but Harper.

"Your dad's car is in my driveway," Harper's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Do you think he's here to see how we did in the competition?"

"Probably," Stiles agreed.

Harper did a small run to the front door and pushed it open, frowning when she immediately heard the sounds of weeping coming from the kitchen. She kicked off her shoes, turning to glance back at Scott and Stiles who were no longer smiling either.

Scott silently shut the door behind them as they moved into the room where the sounds were coming from. Harper's grandmother was crying into her hands, her grandfather stroking Rose' back comfortingly with tears in his own eyes.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Stilinski stood opposite them, looking regretful. Stiles remembered how confused he felt, having no idea why Harper's grandparents were so upset. Noah glanced in the direction of the preteens, his face falling even further at the sight of Harper.

He cleared his throat rather loudly, gathering the attention of Rose. The grandmother gasped and rushed over, bending down to wrap Harper in a tight hug. She sniffled into the small brunette's shoulder, much to Harper's confusion. The atmosphere in the room had been the exact opposite of what Stiles had been expecting before they got here.

"Harper, I'm sorry," he heard Rose's voice crack. "Oh, my baby."

Harper looked worriedly over her grandma's shoulder at Scott and Stiles. Their brows were knitted together in confusion too, even as Sheriff Stilinski moved over to them and placed his hands on both their backs.

"Kids, let's give Harper and her grandparents some privacy," he gently pushed them, however both boys stood their ground, refusing.

"We're not leaving Harper," Stiles told his dad sternly, knowing something bad had happened. "What happened?"

"Stiles," his dad warned.

Rose shook her head, sniffling. "Please, Noah. You tell her- I- I don't think I can."

Sheriff Stilinski's eyes softened but he nodded with a sigh. This was a part of his job, he just didn't want to be the one to break this girl's heart. Especially when he considered Harper one of his own and she was so young and innocent. When he knelt down and took Harper's hands into his, Stiles seemed to understand.

When his mother died, he was alone at the hospital. His dad was working at some accident across town, but Stiles had been there, just a comic in his hand and hope in his heart. When a doctor came out and knelt down, his hands on Stiles' shoulders and asked where his father was, Stiles knew. Even as a kid he was pretty smart.

"Harper, something has happened to your parents, okay?" Noah began, his voice thick with emotion. "I- They're not coming home."

Stiles felt his own eyes burn with tears and he looked to Scott. He looked as clueless as Harper did, a dumbfounded expression in his tan face as he watched the scene in front of him.

Noah sighed again. "I'm sorry. They've passed away, Harper."

A heavy silence settled inside the room. Her tiny hands gripped onto Sheriff Stilinski's tighter, so tight that her knuckles grew white. Her bottom lip started to tremble as her brown eyes drowned with tears that spilt down her cheeks, a sob escaping her lips. She was swaying slightly and Noah tugged her into a hug, stroking her back.

Stiles could hear Harper's muffled sobs in his father's work shirt and he saw his dad shed a tear, closing his eyes as the room filled with Harper's cries. Without even thinking, Stiles was rushing over and wrapping his arms around Harper on the other side, Scott following. Noah let them for a bit until he realised Harper was becoming hysterical.

Her sobs weren't quietning and nothing anybody was saying would calm her. Stiles' eyes were wide as he watched Rose pull Harper away, the brunette breathing so hard and fast he thought she might die. He didn't sleep well that night, or the night after that, or the night after that.

Harper didn't turn up to school for a whole week. It was one of the longest weeks of Stiles' entire life. While he didn't mind just hanging out with Scott, that week it had been agonising. No matter what they said, their conversations always led back to the girl who should have been sitting beside them.

His dad wouldn't let him go to Harper's because he said she needed time to heal and adjust with her family. Stiles sent her messages over Skype every night before bed, asking Scott first thing every single morning if he's heard from her.

When Harper finally appeared at school the week after, it was like seeing a ghost. By now, the whole town was aware of the shooting at Eichen House and the fact that a young girl had been orphaned. As soon as his hazel eyes landed on the familiar figure walking towards the classroom, he'd made a mad dash for it and ran straight into her arms.

Harper would have probably fallen over if Rose hadn't been behind her, the old woman sticking her hands out to steady the two twelve-year-olds. Stiles nuzzled his face into Harper's neck, breathing out a sigh of relief when he felt Harper's arms wrap back around him. His teacher was calling for him to give Harper some space, but she tightened her grip on him.

"Thank you, Stiles," she whispered against his ear when Mr Hammonds pulled him back by the shoulder, shooting an apologetic look at Rose.

At lunch she didn't say much. It was unusual for Harper; normally she had so much to say, but Scott and Stiles were willing to just sit there quietly with her or start and lead all of the conversations. She seemed to prefer it when they just talked, it probably felt better than the silence at home.

Stiles knew how she felt, or rather, he partly knew how he felt. His mother had died when he was just nine-years-old, which is enough to leave any kid traumatised. However, Stiles couldn't imagine coming home from school one day and learning both his parents had been murdered. He was so thankful every single day that he had managed to spend time with Claudia before she passed away, and that he had time to prepare himself and say goodbye.

When Claudia passed, Harper had been there for him every single step of the way. Death wasn't a common concept for nine-year-olds, so she wasn't exactly perfect at comforting him, but Harper seemed to be empathetic beyond her years. She had this calming aura about her, even when she was being loud and childish. Little did they know it had something to do with Harper's family name.

She hadn't even known Stiles for a year but she looked after him like they had been best friends forever. Scott did his best too, but he wasn't very good at the whole comforting thing. He did sneak Stiles chocolate bars, though-- and those always cheered him up a little.

"It's okay to cry," Stiles recalled Harper whispering to him. "Look, you know who the manliest man I know is?"

Stiles sniffed, looking up at the girl, his cheeks red with embarrassment. "Who?"

"The Hulk," Harper chirped, dropping down next to him. "He's... like... super manly. And he cried! You can cry too, Stiles. I won't call you a wimp."

"Th-thanks," Stiles sent her a small smile, brows still tugging together unsurely. "I just really miss her."

Harper frowned in defeat, not quite sure how to respond. The young girl wrapped her arms around Stiles' body, tugging him as close as possible. Stiles hugged her back, blinking and causing a few tears to land on her shoulder.

"I'll always look out for you, okay, Stiles?" Harper promised. "Even when we're really old, like, twenty or something."

"I don't think twenty is that old," Stiles replied as they pulled away from each other. "And what if we don't stay friends when we go to middle school?"

Harper's face scrunched up at his words. "Why wouldn't we be friends in middle school? Me, you, and Scott, yeah? The three of us-- we'll be friends in middle school, high school, college and whatever comes after that."

Stiles' hazel eyes twinkled at that. He loved when Harper spoke, she always sounded so convincing. Whether she was telling a story or something that happened at her old school, the small brunette had a way of captivating him every single time. Nobody else made anything sound as important as Harper did.

"And we'll go to each other's weddings and our kids will be best friends," Harper decided. "And we can live next door to each other so when we're bored we can just pop over and play."

He grinned with a small giggle, sniffling. "I hope that happens."

"Stiles!"

Stiles snapped out of his daydream, hearing his wife calling for him. He shifted from where he'd been brushing his teeth for way longer than intended, quickly spitting the toothpaste out and moving to where Harper was.

The brunette was sitting in the middle of their kids playroom, Orion and Scout sat in front of her. By now, Orion was around six and Scout was four, and Stiles already felt like they were aging far too quickly. He just wanted them to stay young forever.

"Scout has something she wants to show you, bubs," Harper smiled.

The small girl grinned as she lifted up the paper in her hand, revealing four stick people drawn in different colours. There was the classic sun drawn in the corner and the dog was next to who Stiles assumed was supposed to be him, a house behind them.

"Wow! Look at that!" Stiles bent down, scooping his daughter up and placing her in between his crossed legs. He held the drawing out in front of him. "Is that us?"

"Mhm," Scout nodded, pointing with her tiny hands. "That's me, that's Orion, that's mummy and that's you, daddy."

"Oh my gosh, it looks so good," Stiles gushed, turning Scout around a little so he could boop her button nose-- she was already starting to look so much like Harper it was unreal. "You're gonna be a bit of an artist like mummy, huh?"

"Yeah," Scout agreed eagerly before she was trying to get off his lap and back on the floor. "Just like mummy."

Stiles helped her before he looked to Orion. "What are you drawing, buddy?"

"Spaceship," he muttered, a crayon between his lips, one tucked behind his ear and another in his hand as he focused on his little masterpiece.

Harper beamed at him, moving out and ruffling his dark hair slightly. "Be careful you don't accidentally eat the crayon, Orion."

"I won't, mummy," Orion replied.

Stiles smiled a little at Orion's carefree tone, glad that his children had grown to be polite like Harper but still sarcastic like Stiles. They were the perfect combination of the two high school sweethearts and he wouldn't trade them for the world.

Before Orion was born, Stiles and Harper had both voiced their concerns. They hadn't exactly either had conventional childhoods or normal families, but they wanted to give Orion and Scout the best that they possibly could. So far, they'd fulfilled their promises-- and Stiles knew they would until the day they died.

This was better than any future Harper could have come up with when they were nine.

..


	16. Chapter 16

Title: Harper comes out to Stiles

Summary: Harper finally tells Stiles that she's bisexual after years of trying to figure herself out.

Set: CANON (6a)

Word Count: 3.4k words.

WARNING: harper kind of gaslights her own feelings surrounding her sexuality, homophobia and biphobia, lots of harper denying her sexuality. 

wanted to dedicate this to everyone else out there that doesn't like to put labels on their sexuality or isn't sure yet or those who could never come out because of biphobic/homophobic/transphobic etc

wanted to dedicate this to everyone else out there that doesn't like to put labels on their sexuality or isn't sure yet or those who could never come out because of biphobic/homophobic/transphobic etc. family/friends. i see you and i feel you and i love you. 

Harper was thirteen when she went to the cinema to watch the new Avengers film with Scott and Stiles. Superhero films were not her thing at the time, but she had a fear of missing out and Lydia was busy hanging out with her other friends, so Scott and Stiles and a superhero film it was.

Perhaps she should have been paying attention to Captain America or Thor, the heroes with the abs and broad shoulders, but all she could focus on was Black Widow and her pretty red hair and skin tight suit. She found herself mesmerised by the way Scarlett Johansson moved around the screen, how she spoke with such confidence and smirked so beautifully.

Harper convinced herself that it was because she simply admired her. Black Widow was the only female hero on screen; she was meant to be idolised by younger girls. So Harper pushed out any thoughts of crushing on the fictional character and pretended to smile as Scott and Stiles debated whether or not Iron Man was better than Captain America.

Harper knew she liked boys. When her parents had died, the only person that she wanted to see for a long time was Stiles. It was purely platonic, until she started feeling small butterflies whenever he hugged her, or how she found herself wishing he would just lean across and peck her lips at times.

Her crush faded after a few weeks because Harper convinced herself it was wrong to like her best friend. She was sure it was just a phase; something she felt in the moment because she missed her parents and just craved the attention of somebody who might love her unconditionally.

Girls were rarely on Harper's mind. It was always boys- boys, boys, boys. Real boys, fictional boys, Harper didn't care. When she was fourteen, her walls were plastered with One Direction posters, particularly her favourite, Harry. She never stopped talking about Steve Harrington after Stranger Things came out and she found herself thinking Brad in the grade above was pretty cute, not that they'd ever spoken before.

When she was fifteen, she had a sleepover with Lydia. Sleepovers weren't unusual for the pair, in fact, they were nearly a monthly thing-- the two splitting a tub of ice cream and watching whatever they wanted on the massive TV in Lydia's bedroom. Harper always envied the house that Lydia lived in, especially the pool in her back garden.

"Wait, wait, wait," the strawberry blonde squeaked, grabbing the remote and pausing the romantic comedy that had been playing. "So you're telling me that you've never had your first kiss?"

Harper's cheeks blazed in embarrassment and she shook her head. "You know I've never had a boyfriend, Lydia."

"You don't have to have a boyfriend or girlfriend to kiss people, Harper," Lydia smirked.

"Wha-" Harper cleared her throat, shaking her head. "Why- I wouldn't have a girlfriend."

She wasn't so sure why she got so defensive when Lydia brought it up, but the thought made her cheeks grow even hotter.

Lydia rolled her green eyes. "Okay, whatever. Point is, I thought you would have at least kissed someone during a spin the bottle or something. Maybe Scott or Miles."

"Stiles," Harper corrected her. "And no. I- we're- we wouldn't just kiss each other."

"Why don't I be your first kiss?" Lydia grinned nearly wickedly, clapping her hands together and giggling when Harper's eyes widened.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. While she thought Lydia was beautiful and maybe stared a little bit too long sometimes, she'd never thought of kissing her. Harper quickly started to shake her head. She couldn't kiss a girl.

"No, no, I'm fine, thanks," Harper smiled wearily. "I'd rather save my first kiss for my first boyfriend or something."

Lydia chuckled and grabbed the remote, resuming the movie. "Okay,okay. I won't go on."

Harper was sixteen when she had her first kiss. It had been with Stiles in her bedroom, an innocent thing that had meant the world to her. All of the pent up feelings she had been re-experiencing for her best friend came flowing out, their lips moulding together like they were meant to be. He asked her to be his girlfriend after that, and Harper accepted quickly.

It wasn't until Erica was turned into a werewolf that Harper's internal struggle with her true identity came flooding back. When she was cornered in the girls' bathroom by the blonde with the new found confidence and very low cut top.

"Harper Verum," Erica had feigned a pout. "Why didn't you tell me you're an Empath?"

Harper glared. "How'd you know?"

Erica rolled her eyes as she chuckled dryly. "Oh, Derek told me everything. Hunters, werewolves, you. It hurts that you didn't tell me- I thought that we were friends, Harper."

"We were friends." Harper furrowed her eyebrows together. "We're still friends, for god's sake, Erica. Why... why are you acting like this?"

Erica rolled her eyes once more. "Because, Harper," she backed the smaller girl into the corner. "People like me now that I'm hot. I'm every boy's dream... every girl's dream." She smirked down at Harper. "I can hear your heart beating fast."

Harper pursed her lips together, "maybe because you've just turned into a freaking werewolf and you're backing me into a corner."

Erica cocked her head to the side, smirking. "We're still friends, Harper Verum." She tucked some of Harper's dark hair behind her ear. "But just like you always did... I have bigger priorities than you right now. So see ya."

And with that, the blonde waltzed away, leaving Harper utterly stunned. Harper had reached up to untuck the hair that Erica had touched, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall behind her when she realised that she definitely shouldn't have reacted like that to Erica-- and Erica seemed to know why.

When Erica knocked her and Stiles out later that day, she had teased Harper again-- and this time in front of her boyfriend. Harper felt like she could have thrown up, pretending to be clueless when Erica acknowledged that they were both only looking into her eyes.

She wasn't sure why liking girls was such a big deal to her, but she didn't want to. Harper didn't want to like girls, she wished she could just stick to boys. Maybe it was because her father had always had something to say about it, even her own mother sometimes.

"Bisexual people... They think they can have both. They're just confused."

Harper remembered hearing that before she even knew what being bisexual was. When she started having thoughts about girls, she felt like she was doing something wrong. Like her parents would never accept her or brush it off. So she blocked it out- she must just be hormonal and confused.

That wasn't to say Harper didn't believe bisexuality was real. She knew it was-- Harper had met bisexual people and she admired them for being so open and dating boys and girls. She wished she could be like them. She wished she could tell her grandma or Scott or Stiles or anyone about how she was feeling deep down, but her parents' words always rang around in her head.

Her biggest fear was that they would think of her differently or say the same things that her parents did, and then she would be doubting herself all over again.

When she woke up in bins with Stiles after Erica had knocked them both out, Harper deflected his direct questions. She joked around and shook her head,thinking for sure that the way she had looked at Erica was just because she was human-- it was normal to look at other girls in a sexual way... it didn't automatically make her bi, right?

That's what Harper went with.

She was straight- she loved boys- except she didn't mind looking at girls sometimes. Harper spent ages taking quizzes at night. They all told her the same thing. Bisexual. Even heteromantic bisexual sometimes, which Harper had to Google.

In fact, Harper so convinced she was straight that when she thought about telling Scott or Stiles how she felt, that she might actually be bisexual, she felt like she was lying to herself. Like maybe she was just trying to be different and she wasn't really bisexual because she could only imagine herself with Stiles in the end, not a girl.

She guessed there was no point in saying anything at all if she knew Stiles was the real deal.

Then Lydia kissed her.

It stirred something inside Harper who had only been dumped by Stiles hours before. Not necessarily for the redhead herself, but Harper knew that as their lips worked together in the middle of the party, it didn't feel wrong or disgusting or unnatural like her father's words had made her think it would.

Kissing a girl felt like kissing boys, except even softer. Harper had enjoyed the way that Lydia took the lead, she liked how plump the girl's lips were and how she smelt so pretty and she tasted like fruit and the alcohol they'd been drinking. Harper liked the way Lydia kissed her, she even wished she could kiss another girl and find out if it was always this nice.

When it was over they just laughed. Harper was too buzzed to realise she'd just kissed one of her best friends, and as an upbeat song began to play, Lydia tugged her away and they were taking more shots.

The kiss played on Harper's mind for days on end. Thankfully, the brunette led a busy life, so during the day she was fine, but late at night she worried she'd ruined her friendship with Lydia and that she had just kissed a girl. A girl.

When she made up with Stiles, the thoughts seemed to fade. They were sometimes there in the back of her head late at night, but Stiles always washed the conflict away with his large hands and broad shoulders. As much as she liked kissing Lydia, Stiles kissed better.

Harper liked to feel small beneath him when he kissed her hungrily, she liked how big his hands felt as they gripped her hips, and how dominant he became when their tongues met. She knew being with a girl couldn't ever feel like this, and Harper loved this.

She loved Stiles, Stiles who had hairy arms and broad shoulders and had to shave his face nearly every single day and didn't have a clue what the hell soap brows were.

How could she like girls when her favourite parts of Stiles were so... masculine?

There was no point in thinking about it if she had a preference to the social norm.

Harper's internal battle was wiped clean when Stiles disappeared. Suddenly, she woke up Lydia Martin's girlfriend and they were open and everything Harper had ever been scared of. Kissing in the hallways, falling asleep beside each other and holding hands.

Being with Lydia had only ever felt wrong because she was in love with somebody else, but Harper was dumbfounded at the idea that if Stiles never existed, she would have been with Lydia. Everybody would know the secret she thought she was lying to herself about and she would be so loud and proud.

That wasn't to say Harper thought Stiles was stopping her from being who she truly was, but she believed the feelings she had for Stiles were so incredibly intense that she just never wondered enough-- or didn't want to. Stiles felt safe, she didn't need anyone else when she had him.

But Harper had to tell him. She wanted to tell him everything. Nobody had said anything, but when everything went back to normal after the Ghost Riders, everybody obviously knew Harper must like girls too-- and it wasn't a problem.

"Are you gonna tell Stiles?"

Harper glanced up from where she was sitting on her bed, seeing Scott stood in the doorway. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"About what?"

Her adoptive brother sat down beside her. "About how you and Lydia were a thing when he was in the Wild Hunt."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. That."

Scott sighed. "He's gonna love you no matter what, Harper."

"You're not shocked?" Harper asked, a worried frown on her face. "You don't look at me... differently?"

"No," Scott shrugged. "I already knew."

Harper scoffed. "Okay, smart ass. Tell me how you already knew when I didn't even know."

"Okay, number one. The Neighbourhood is your favourite band. Number two, one time you left your browser history open and you'd been watching lesbian por-"

"Oh my god!" Harper smacked her hand over Scott's mouth, her cheeks growing bright red. "Stop, stop, stop. Why did- oh my fucking god. Why didn't you confront me about it?"

"I mean, 'cause I watched it after and you have good taste-"

"No, dumbass, why didn't you ask me about the bi thing before?" Harper groaned, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

Scott shrugged. "Oh. Because I figured you'd tell everyone when you knew for sure. I know you, Harper. You don't like attention and I know that this must be a big deal to you."

Harper's eyes softened. "Thanks, Scott," she whispered.

Scott's words had given Harper the courage to talk to Stiles. He deserved to know she had been with Lydia for a while too. She knew Stiles had his assumptions. He'd brought it up after the whole Erica thing and when he found out that Lydia had kissed Harper at a party he seemed more shocked that it was Lydia rather than a girl.

She decided she'd tell him while they were watching a film and eating pizza, when Sheriff Stilinski had another one of his night shifts. The couple were cuddled up on the sofa, Harper's head resting on his shoulder and his arm slung around her, holding her close.

Before he could reach for another slice, Harper closed the box and sat up, turning to face him. Stiles looked at her in disbelief, a small pout on his lips.

"Harps," he whined. "I'm hungry."

"I know, you can have the rest after I tell you something," she exhaled shakily with a small smile. "Something kind of important to me."

Stiles looked at her wearily, sitting up from where she'd been slouched. "Everything okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," Harper replied, grabbing his large hands in hers. "I just need to tell you something."

"Go ahead," Stiles gave her a look that told her everything she needed to know-- she could say whatever she wanted to him and he would still listen.

Harper took a deep breath. Nothing. She tried again- nothing.

"Hey," Stiles could tell she was struggling, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her hand to calm her down. "Whatever you say, I'm not gonna judge you. You can tell me anything you want, I won't get mad. You're okay."

"I- I think I'm bisexual," Harper whispered to him finally.

There was a moment of silence. "You think you're bisexual?" Stiles repeated so softly.

"I- I mean, I don't think- I know," Harper felt the tears start to stream down her face, her heart beating so loud she thought Stiles might be able to hear it. "I know."

Stiles swallowed and grabbed Harper as she started to sob loudly, tears staining his shirt as he whispered sweet nothings and held her close.

"Hey, hey. You're okay, it's okay," Stiles whispered.

"I've never said i-it out loud before," Harper cried, her hands shaking as he squeezed them tight. "I- I was so scared."

"It's okay," Stiles repeated, waiting until she calmed down. "You realising you're bisexual doesn't change how stupidly I am in love with you, Harper. I love you, okay? Every single little piece of you. All of it."

"Promise?" Her voice came out a small whimper.

"Oh, babe," Stiles breathed, holding her even closer. "I promise."

He held her for the next hour or so, the pizza long forgotten and growing colder and colder. Stiles continued to stroke her hair, listening as she told him everything. How conflicted she'd felt, how badly the few things Harper's parents had said had managed to influence nearly everything she thought, how Lydia had filled the void when he was in the Wild Hunt.

The last part kinda stung-- okay, really stung-- but he was glad that it had pushed her into talking to him about it.

"I'm just glad you haven't asked for a threesome," Harper croaked with a small giggle to lighten the mood.

Stiles shook his head immediately. "That would be totally fetishising your sexuality and erasing all of the years of gaslighting you've been doing to yourself and I feel like bisexual women are just treated like sex symbols which isn't cool. Plus I get really jealous so I don't think it would be that hot."

Harper stared at him in slight amazement before she snorted and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him into a kiss. "God, I love you."


	17. Chapter 17

TITLE: stiles and harper's wedding

SUMMARY: pretty self-explanatory 

WORD COUNT: 2.7k

WARNINGS: none 

\- okay so stiles proposed twice before 

\- okay so stiles proposed twice before

\- the rushed one he did when the ghost riders took him

\- and again when they were only eighteen in 6b finale

\- so when the time came again when he wanted to propose to harper for a THIRD time, he wanted to do it perfect

\- he didn't use the ring he proposed with her when they were eighteen because he thought it might be bad luck

\- instead he went to his dad and asked about his mother's engagement ring

\- noah was more than excited to stiles to propose to harper with it because he wholeheartedly believed claudia would have wanted it that way

\- stiles got it cleaned up a bit and then begged scott to help him think of some romantic way of proposing to harper

\- he wanted a bigger gesture this time

\- harper really wasn't expecting anything when stiles suggested they go to the beach for the day

\- even when it wasn't their local beach and one much further away that neither of them had ever been to

\- there was barely anyone around despite the fact that it was arguably the prettiest beach they'd ever been to

\- stiles had a picnic prepared and brought harper's trusty old polaroid camera, letting her take pictures

\- when the sun set he knew the time was right

\- the sky was the most beautiful shades of pink and purple

\- he had a window and he was starting to get really nervous

\- "bubba, why are you anxious right now?"

\- stiles cursed having an empath for a girlfriend

\- "let's take a walk by the shore."

\- when harper was pointing out the full moon faintly in the sky, stiles dropped to one knee behind her

\- when she turned around harper immediately gasped and started to cry

\- in a good way

\- she was practically bawling her eyes out, not even looking at the ring as she jumped into his arms

\- stiles held her close as she repeated "yes, yes, yes" over and over

\- god, he was so relieved

\- he gave a heartfelt, emotional speech

\- one that had taken him weeks to write, and he asked for no help because he wanted it to come from him and him only

\- when harper found out it was claudia's ring she cried even harder

\- stiles had hired a professional photographer to secretly take pictures of the whole event which harper adored

\- they have the pictures framed all over their house

\- they are never coming down until the day they both die

\- harper was surprisingly a pretty chilled out bride

\- lydia and allison freaked out more than her about all the details

\- but harper ~the artist~ had full faith in the wedding she had envisioned and bringing it to life

\- she was more stressed about lydia saying she wanted strippers at her hen do, which harper was totally not for

\- she is too awkward for that

\- she was really indecisive about what she wanted, but she knew she wanted it to be outside and she wanted lots of flowers everywhere

\- stiles' only request was that the cake had five tiers and one of the layers was chocolate

\- stiles got what stiles wanted of course

\- he was way too excited to see what kind of dress harper got for the wedding

\- harper refused to tell him because she knew it was bad luck, but it didn't stop stiles from trying to play the guessing game every five minutes

\- the last couple of weeks leading up to their wedding, stiles and harper felt like they were in a new relationship all over again

\- most couples got really stressed leading up to their wedding, but harper and stiles just felt giddy

\- harper knew it wouldn't be a big deal if things were a little out of place or they messed up their vowels etc. because she cared more about the day being authentic and relaxed and enjoyable

\- the wedding took place in the garden of a huge hotel that overlooked a huge lake

\- lydia forced harper to relax on the day whilst she and allison did all the running around and finishing up last details

\- harper got ready in a hotel room with her bridesmaids: lydia, allison, and malia

\- GUYS I KNOW PEOPLE SOMETIMES COMMENT ABOUT KIRA BUT SHE WASNT REALLY THAT CLOSE WITH HARPS AND JEFF MADE HER ONLY REALLY INVOLVED WITH SCOTT SO IT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE FOR 'SCOTT'S EX' TO BE THERE EVEN THO I LOVED KIRA AND ARDEN I SWEAR AND SHE DESERVED BETTER--

\- scott ran between stiles and harper's rooms, reassuring the both of them and being the supportive best friend he was

\- when he saw harper in her wedding dress he nearly cried

\- "i can't believe you two are actually getting married. my best friend's are getting married. allison, hold me!"

\- stiles was REALLY nervous before it was time for the ceremony

\- scott had to calm him down and reassure him that harper 'still liked him'

\- they looked like this: ( edit in wedding manip pls future alisha)

\- but harper's hair would be a little curlier and stiles' suit would be black (and his hair would be more pushed up like teen wolf reunion vibes)  
\- but harper's hair would be a little curlier and stiles' suit would be black (and his hair would be more pushed up like teen wolf reunion vibes)

\- so the question a lot of people are asking is: who the hell is walking harper down the aisle

\- whilst sheriff stilinski was like a father figure to harper, they all decided it might be a little strange for him to give her away to his son

\- harper wanted it to be scott but scott was stiles' best man, so she had to think really long and hard about who she wanted to ask next

\- she nearly chose isaac, her other adoptive brother, but for some reason-- somebody else was calling out to harper

\- that somebody being derek hale

\- harper was REALLY nervous to ask him, considering the fact that she had spent half of her teenage years pissing him off with stiles

\- she wanted derek because he had always been like an older brother to the pack-- a distant, moody older brother, but an older brother nevertheless

\- he had been the one that had told her that she was an empath, he had saved her multiple times (from peter hale, assassins, beserkers, he'd tried to help her find harry at glen capri, saved her from hunters... the list went on), he also was the one to help her when she momentarily lost her empathic powers because of the anuk-ite and when calum had shot stiles he'd been the one to help her

\- they'd also talked about it at glen capri before, about how similar the two of them were-- they had both lost their parents and their remaining family members had been a little less than sane

\- derek just made a lot of sense

\- and THANKFULLY he said yes-- in fact, the sour wolf would never admit it, but he was REALLY flattered and excited

\- so derek hale ended up walking harper down the aisle

\- he squeezed her hand and whispered comforting words the whole way down

\- harper was buzzing with excitement, a small smile on her face and her teeth biting her bottom lip as she stared at stiles

\- his hazel eyes had filled with tears as soon as he saw her

\- when derek let her go and the highschool sweethearts joined hands, stiles had to take a deep breath that made harper chuckle

\- "who's the pussy now?" she had whispered against his ear, a reference to the same thing he had told her at scott and allison's wedding

\- the werewolves in the crowd had all heard and chuckled

\- harper and stiles' vowels to each other were so heartfelt and endearing that even peter hale was lost for words

\- their hands were both shaking when they slipped their rings onto each others fingers, making them both giggle a little

\- it was by no means the perfect wedding, a lot of stuttering and laughing, but to harper and stiles it meant everything

\- it was just so them

\- as soon as stiles heard the "you may now kiss the bride"

\- he was swooping harper off her feet and pulling her into one of the best kisses that the pair had ever shared with each other

\- they spent most of the day glued to each others sides, stiles' arm wrapped around her as they walked around and spoke to everyone who attended

\- they had lots of group pictures taken, with friends from college and mainly pack ones

\- harper and stiles had them around their house still

\- their favourite was one of them with scott, where the three of them had tried to recreate the first photo they had ever taken with each other where they were on a trampoline

\- harper was in the middle and the other two men were on the outside as they jumped high in the air, despite not even being on a trampoline this time obviously-- and the pictures came out amazingly

\- allison had to keep grabbing scott because he tried to follow them around like a lost puppy all day, even when they were trying to talk to people scott had never met before

\- "who are they?" "is that stiles' friend from college?" "is that harper's old roommate?" "they realise I'M their best friend, right???"

\- they had afternoon tea in a grand hall while the speeches went on, eating 'fancy' things harper wanted like scones, tea, small sandwiches, macarons and small cakes etc.

\- scott was actually kind of nervous to do his best man's speech because he wanted to nail it and make both his friends proud

\- "Quick disclaimer before I start that Isaac helped me write this speech, so if it's really bad then blame him... please. So, er, hi. In case you don't know me, I'm Scott McCall, and whilst I'm up here because Stiles chose me to be his best man, I just wanna let everybody know I'm Harper's best man too-- like, unofficially. So unofficially that Harper doesn't even know... Urm, anyway. Yeah, so, what I was trying to say was that Stiles and Harper are my best friends and I love them both."

\- Stiles and Harper were both laughing and holding hands throughout the entire thing

\- "I met Stiles on the first day of elementary school. I remember I was sat by myself in the sandpits because I was too scared to say 'hi' to any of the other kids... but Stiles came up to me. I don't remember much of what we spoke about, mainly because he did all the talking and I just sat there and smiled."

\- "That was basically our friendship up until the fourth grade when a new girl arrived at our school. Stiles and I were sat at the back of the classroom and I remember how he was rambling about Star Wars or something along those lines, and then he saw Harper stood at the front next to Mrs Monday. I had never seen Stiles shut up so quickly."

\- Harper was tearing up, resting her head on Stiles' shoulder as he laughed embarrassingly, shaking his head

\- "Stiles stuck a gluestick in my hair to get Harper's attention and Mrs Monday ended up putting her in between us to stop us talking. Except, we only spoke more. Our tiny group of two quickly became a group of three, and from that day on, everything just felt so much better. We stuck together-- through elementary school, middle school, and high school."

\- "Man. Our high school days were... they were interesting to say the least. Sophomore year was when everything changed for us. I don't think any of us were expecting the things that happened to us to actually happen... but they did. There have been days where I wish I could take it all back, but most days I'm just really glad. I'm so glad Stiles listened to all his father's calls and ended up dragging Harper and I into the woods."

\- "I think even if he hadn't, Harper and Stiles would have still fallen in love with each other-- there isn't a doubt in my mind that those two are soulmates. Even when obstacles are being thrown their way and it would probably just be easiest to not be distracted by each other, they held onto each other like lifelines... like anchors."

\- "Most people would think it would be awkward for their best friends to start dating... but I think I had seen it coming from the moment Harper opened her mouth and Stiles yelled at Jackson for making fun of her on her first day. I'm more than thrilled to be here today, to look around and see all these familiar faces that have also watched Stiles and Harper's relationship blossom into what it is today... I mean we all saw it coming, right?"

\- "I can't wait to watch you guys do more growing up together. I'm super bummed that I can't go on your honeymoon with you... I still don't really understand why... but I'm sure when you get back you'll have dozens of stories to tell and then we can hang out like always. I can't wait for our future kids to be friends so we can tell them all of the stories that the three of us have had. I love you both so much... so cheers! To Stiles and Harper."

\- scott got lots of hugs for his speech

\- also speeches from noah, lydia, and derek

\- after a few more hours, it was time for harper and stiles' first dance together as a married couple

\- "i don't get why we have to do this part... it's so awkward," stiles would whisper before they arrived to where the music and dancefloor was

\- "i know right? maybe we could just hide in the bathroom until it's over."

\- "let's go--"

\- lydia literally caught them before they could get out of the doors

\- "you two are the BRIDE AND GROOM. you can't hide in the bathroom for your own first dance. stop being awkward and do it."

\- their first dance was to 'someone to stay' by vancouver sleep clinic

\- guys that song has been in my playlist for starper since 2017 and is in a list of songs that remind me of them

\- harper had lots of the neighbourhood songs of course

\- stiles and harper danced obnoxiously to a lot of them like 'stuck with me'

\- scott requested 'hard times' by paramore and the three of them jammed to that too

\- harper's heels were long gone after the first dance

\- when they cut the cake, harper made stiles promise he wouldn't get any on her face 'to be cute' 

\- stiles kept his promised but he was disappointed

\- their night ended around the early hours of the morning with just the pack sprawled out on the grass, watching the hotel staff start to pack away all the chairs

\- harper was laying in stiles' lap, her dress sprawled out as they all laughed drunkenly at a story malia was trying to tell

\- harper had never felt so happy being surrounded by the pack- her family.

\- harper and stiles ended up calling it a night first to go back to their hotel room (which was 5 stars for the occasion obviously)

\- they did the wink wonk duh

\- and after they just held each other for a really long time, confessing their happiness

\- and they fell asleep in each others arms after the best day of their lives


	18. Chapter 18

TITLE: after eichen house

SUMMARY: what happened after the pack broke harper out of eichen house, and a couple of instances where stiles comforted harper

WORD COUNT: 3.4k

SET IN: CANON (season 5b) between chapter 42 and 43 of RUNAWAY.

WARNINGS: panic attack, mentions of death, blood, all that lovely teen wolf 5b stuff

When Harper's body fell limp against Stiles', he was pretty sure the world had stopped spinning

When Harper's body fell limp against Stiles', he was pretty sure the world had stopped spinning. The way her face had just fallen slack and her eyes had flickered shut had sent a wave of sickness through his entire being, and he swore right there and then that if that was the last time he got to look into her brown eyes then his life might as well have finished with hers on that operating table.

"No." He remembered hearing his own voice before he could even think the words, but everything sounded underwater. "No, no, no, no, no. Come on, Harps. Wake up. You can't do this to me. How many times have I told you that--"

Stiles couldn't even finish his words. His heart was in his throat and his tears were on his cheeks, and he didn't even acknowledge the looks he was getting from Deaton and Scott. A sob racked through his body, so powerful he nearly collapsed to his knees.

"You can't leave me like this," Stiles continued desperately, holding her face. "You can't- I- Harper, please. Open your eyes. Open those beautiful brown eyes. Remember when I told you yours were my favourite? Yeah, I wanna see them," he pleaded with a sniffle. "H-Harper, please."

When Harper didn't open her eyes like in the movies, the only sound being his heavy breathing, Stiles felt anger pulse through his veins and he nearly punched the metal beneath her body.

"Harper!" He suddenly yelled, grabbing onto the baggy shirt her father had forced her into and scrunching it in his hand in an attempt to bring her closer. "Harper, Harper, Harper."

He screamed her name as if it would bring her back because right now he was more than certain there was no saving the exhausted brunette with a hole in her head and mercury in her blood. Stiles hated himself more than ever at that point-- he should have been there.

Stiles blinked back his tears when Scott's tan hand reached down to grab Harper's cold one. Her hands were always cold but this time they were freezing. Deaton turned away as if to give the three best friends some space, a solemn expression written across his face. Scott's lips were trembling and tears were in his eyes. He looked up to say something to Stiles.

Suddenly, a loud gasp ripped through the animal clinic and Harper's brown eyes snapped open. Stiles jumped away from the brunette in surprise, his heart nearly stopping in his chest. Once he realised that the girl was alive and breathing, relief crashed into him like a tidal wave, pulling him under.

"Oh, thank God." Stiles leaned down to press his lips against her forehead, closing his eyes and exhaling shakily. "Are you okay?"

When he pulled away, his hand was still gripping hers like his life depended on it. Stiles never wanted to let go again-- ever.

Harper nodded her head, but she looked like she could start crying at any moment. Stiles wanted to scoop her and all her broken pieces up together.

"Are you sure?" He pestered doubtfully, earning another small nod. "You wanna sit up?"

"Yes," Harper croaked.

Both her best friends planted their hands around her, gently guiding her up so that she was in a sitting position. Stiles refused to leave her side, pulling her closer into him so that she could rest her body against his chest, his arms still wrapped around her.

"You saved me, Stiles," she whispered, making her boyfriend's eyes turn even glossier.

"Because I love you," he murmured sincerely, pressing his lips to the side of her head. "And I'll never stop loving you."

Harper found herself smiling for the first time in a week. It made Scott and Stiles smile too, all three of them exchanging teary glances. She reached her arm out, grabbing Scott's arm and forcing him into a hug.

"Happy two years, by the way," Stiles murmured.

Harper's eyes widened. "That's today?" Her voice cracked from all of the screaming she'd been doing.

"Yesterday," Stiles shrugged. "But I guess I can forgive you this one time."

Harper just held onto both of her boys even tighter, wishing that they could stay like that forever. 

...

Stiles' eyes snapped open and all he could hear was screaming. He lurched up from his slumber, a panicked yell of his own escaping his lips when he thought for a split second that he might be in danger.

Harper's body was thrashing around next to him on his double bed as she screamed bloody murder, causing his heart to skip a beat. Stiles held onto her shoulders, desperately trying to shake her awake.

When her brown eyes flickered open, she took a few moments to adjust to her surroundings, her screams faltering to panting and she started to cry. Her exhausted body collapsed into Stiles', her face hiding in his shoulder as she cried.

Stiles felt his heartstrings tug at the sound and feel of her frame shaking against him. He held onto her tight, his large hand stroking through her hair as he attempted to soothe the panicked brunette.

He knew his girlfriend was bound to experience some post-trauma from being experimented on by her own father, but he hoped that she would only get better and that her recovery would be fairly easy. Stiles wasn't sure he could ever understand what she had been through, especially if she didn't want to talk about it, so all he could offer were his hugs and words.

"You're okay," Stiles whispered, thanking God that his father was working the late shift. "Everything's okay. You're at home with me. Nobody's coming to get you."

Harper held onto him tighter, sobs slowly turning to whimpers. "It felt so real..." She breathed shakily. "Stiles, it was so scary."

"I know, I know." Stiles kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to his chest if that was even possible. "I'm here now. I've got you."

It didn't take long for Harper to calm down after that, clearly feeling comforted by Stiles' words. She listened to the relaxing sound of his heartbeat against her ear, finding relief in the scent of his laundry detergent and natural smell. His strong arms felt just like home.

Her father couldn't manipulate this. He had taken on the form of Stiles multiple times during her stay at Eichen, but this was too good not to be true. Harper's body started to relax against him and her breaths turned slow until she was finally asleep.

Stiles waited a few minutes before he relaxed against her too, arms not leaving her frame even when he was unconscious too. 

... 

It had been about twenty-four hours since the pack had broken Harper out of Eichen House. Harper was a lot quieter than usual; her brain obviously in other places, even when they were all talking with one another. Mentions of The Beast had been low when she was in their presence, nobody wanting to overwhelm her after the most traumatic time she had ever been through.

Harper sat on one of the couches at the McCall household next to Stiles, her head laying on his chest as he ran his fingers gently up and down her arm, listening to something that Liam was telling everyone. Harper wished she could pay attention, but all she could think about was her father and what he had done to her.

Her breaths started to grow uneven and her heart started to race quicker. Harper knew she was on the verge of a panic attack, but the delusional part of her brain promised her if she just ignored it then it might go away. She nuzzled her face closer into Stiles' chest, swallowing thickly.

"You okay?" She heard Stiles whisper.

"No," Harper admitted in a small squeak.

Had the room suddenly gotten a lot smaller? Was everybody looking at her? Was her heart supposed to be pounding that loud? Oh God, Stiles was probably going to be so annoyed at her. What if they thought she just wanted attention--

"Guys, Harper and I are gonna get some air."

Harper was barely processing anything as Stiles' large hands gently grabbed her arms and pulled her from the couch. She was faintly aware of the pack's eyes on them and heard Scott quickly trying to change the subject, trying to get the attention off of his two best friends.

When Stiles led Harper out to the back garden, Harper's breaths started to grow uncontrollable. No tears fell but she would rather be crying than this. This felt like the verge of death.

"Calm down, baby, you're okay," Stiles was reassuring her. "Tell me five things you can see."

Harper's eyes dashed around. "Um, grass. The- the door. Window. Wooden chair. Y-You."

He forced her to name four things she could touch, another three things she could hear, two things she could smell and finally one thing that she could taste. By the end, Harper felt a whole lot calmer, her hands still having a death grip on Stiles' though.

"Come here," Stiles pulled her even closer into a hug. "I love you so much, okay?"

"I love you too," Harper croaked. "I'm sorry. I don't- I didn't know that was going to happen--"

"It's all right," Stiles promised her quickly. "You don't have to apologise. I get it."

He sat down on the wooden bench by the backdoor, taking Harper with him. The night air was slightly chilly so they ended up holding onto each other for warmth.

"It was bad, Stiles," Harper whispered. "My dad really scared me."

Stiles was silent for a few moments as he contemplated the right thing to say next. No amount of words could ever describe the hatred he felt towards Valack. If he could, Stiles would bring him back from the dead and kill him himself-- this time a whole lot more painfully than getting his head blown off without knowing.

He didn't care if Scott never spoke to him again for it, because this time it really wouldn't be self defence, although the two boys had silently worked everything out between them whilst Harper had been away. 

"Your dad can never hurt you again," Stiles said.

"I know," Harper whispered. "Stiles, I thought of you the entire time. When I was in the shower, I- I thought you were actually there for a minute."

Stiles didn't think anything could hurt as much as when those words fell past her lips. She surely didn't mean to hurt him like that, but the thought of Harper hoping he would come and save her whilst he was busy worrying about other things crushed him. So much could have been prevented if he had just...

"It's not your fault," Harper must have realised what he had been thinking. "I knew you would come for me eventually, and you did. I would have died if you didn't."

Stiles stroked her back. "You mean everything to me, Harper. If- If I didn't start that fight with you about Scott we would have never been apart--"

"It's nobody's fault," Harper cut him off. "My dad was going to try and experiment on me one way or another. We should just be thankful he's gone now."

"Are you okay with him being gone?" Stiles hesitated to ask.

When the Nogitsune had possessed him, Stiles remembered being trapped inside his own head whilst Void cornered Harper in her bedroom. He remembered how Void had pinned her down onto her bed and forced her to admit that she wanted her dad dead, and once they'd been separated, Stiles remembered how Void had written a note to Harper saying he had tried to do it, but he couldn't because of the mountain ash.

Stiles wishes Void had actually killed him-- it would be the only good thing to come out of being possessed by that thousand-year-old demon.

"Yeah," Harper whispered. "He taunted me about murdering my mother, Stiles. He killed my mum, h-he nearly killed me too. I don't feel any empathy for him."

Stiles thought about how bad it must have been for the Empath to feel no empathy for somebody. He could only imagine the kind of horrors that Harper faced down there, and he knew he would be ready for her to talk whenever she needed him. 

...

Harper promised herself she would go to school the Monday that followed, but just a weekend to recover had offered her no real improvement. When she woke up for school bright and early, the brunette had taken one look in the mirror and nearly broke down crying.

As she pushed her wavy hair about, she felt like all people would be focusing on was the shaved patch in her head. The hole that Valack had drilled into the side of her head had nearly disappeared thanks to Deaton's amazing work and concoctions, however, there was no magic remedy for her hair to grow back at the speed of lightning.

Harper released an audible whimper as she peered at herself and shook her head. No. No- she couldn't go back to school today. It was a bad idea to think she would ever be okay again-- her father had really broken her this time, in a way that no Kanima or Deadpool could.

This time it was personal.

She could hear Isaac and Scott walking around the landing outside her room, getting ready for school, but Harper didn't want any part in that. If she had to look at the ugly shaved part of her head again then she was pretty sure that she would have another panic attack.

However, as she threw herself down into her bed, her fingers couldn't help but gravitate towards it. She felt the aching need to touch it, another little whimper passing her lips when she felt the small curved in dent and the lack of hair. Harper had always loved her hair-- it was thick and dark and naturally had a pretty nice wave to it.

"Harps?" She heard a knock come to her bedroom door and she just buried herself further into the her pillows. "Harper, I'm coming in."

"Go away, Scott," Harper grumbled, but it was too late-- her best friend had already snuck his way inside her room.

He closed the door behind him when he realised she wasn't getting ready for school, moving to sit on the edge of Harper's bed. Scott gently placed his hand down on Harper's shoulder, feeling her tense a little beneath him. His heart nearly broke but he pulled his hand away anyway.

"Are you not getting ready for school?" Scott asked. "Do you need more time at home?"

Everybody was more than willing to give Harper the time and space that she deserved. They understood that what she had been through must have been hard enough, let alone with it being conducted by her father himself. She was bound to be traumatised, so they just wanted her to heal in her own time.

"I want to go to school," Harper whispered, her voice cracking. "But I can't."

Scott licked his lips and glanced around her bedroom as he contemplated his next words. His brown eyes landed on one of the many pictures she had pinned up of her and Stiles and he stood up.

"I'll be right back, okay? You stay here and rest," Scott reassured her, grabbing his phone as soon as he left the room. 

... 

Harper was lying on her back when Stiles entered the room, Lydia remaining in the doorway as she watched. She didn't even look at him when he walked towards her, or when he sat on the edge of her bed like Scott had. Stiles noticed no tearstains on her face, but she did look stressed, her chest falling a little quicker than usual.

"Baby, you wanna stay home today? We can watch movies--"

"Stiles, I feel so ugly," her words caught Stiles off guard, the boy's hazel eyes widening and his brows furrowing.

That was the last thing that he was expecting Harper to say to him. She'd never really called herself 'ugly' before. Harper had times where she stressed to him how she didn't look good today, or maybe complained how her acne was playing up around their middle school era, but she never called herself that.

Stiles felt personally offended for her.

"Ugly? Harper, you're the most beautiful person I know," Stiles huffed. "Inside and out, okay? I seriously don't know how you can call yourself that when you look so perfect--"

"I have a hole in the side of my head," Harper finally looked at him, bottom lip wobbling. "A-And my hair is shaved and I look so pale and--"

Stiles realised that Harper meant when she looked in the mirror all she saw was a weak person, or rather what her father had left her with. He quickly scooped her into his strong arms and held her against his chest, his own heart pounding with anger as he thought about what Valack had done to his girlfriend.

"You are strong. You are beautiful, Harper," Stiles emphasised his words, trying to get them into his head. "Nobody at school is going to be staring or thinking otherwise. And if they do, they'll have the entire pack to answer to, okay?"

Harper gave a small giggle at this as Lydia finally spoke up. "Harper, let me do your hair and makeup for you."

The brunette looked over to the clock on her bedside table. "We have twenty minutes until first period--"

"We can skip first," Stiles insisted. "Lydia can help you feel back to normal, and I'll wait downstairs and then we can turn up for second."

Harper chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated everything, but realised that it was worth a shot. She wanted and needed to get back to normal as soon as possible, so it would be smart to take Stiles and Lydia's help.

"Okay."

...

"You can't even see the shaved patch," Lydia reassured Harper as she finished making soft curls in the brunette's thick hair. "You look beautiful, Harps."

Harper looked up at the strawberry blonde who stood behind her in the vanity mirror, a small smile crossing her face. Lydia patted Harper's shoulders, sending one back. Harper did have to admit that she looked far better than before.

The makeup on her face accentuated her features and brought back the glow and bronze to her skin, and her hair that had been washed, blowdried, and curled made her look like she had stepped out of a salon. The dress she wore was comfortable and hugged her figure, so she felt like she could take on the world-- or rather, school.

Just as Lydia was switching off the curling wand in her hand, a figure moved into the doorframe. Stiles leaned against it, proudly watching as Harper attempted to get back to normal only a few days after everything had happened to her. She was so strong.

Stiles knocked lightly on the bedroom door, despite it being already open. Harper and Lydia both turned, Lydia sending him a nod and a smile before leaving the room. The Stilinski boy shut the door behind her and walked over to stand behind Harper, ducking down and wrapping his arms around her body loosely.

"I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world," he announced, leaning to kiss her neck.

Harper blushed, looking down at the table. She stood up from the desk and wrapped her arms around his torso, leaning her head into his chest. Stiles grinned, dropping his chin on top of her head while he rubbed circles on her arms.

"Are you ready for school?" He asked softly.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Harper sighed, sending him a grateful smile as she picked up her denim jacket from the back of her chair.

As she slipped it on, Stiles moved to wrap his arm around her waist, practically glueing her to his side- not that she was complaining.

...


	19. Chapter 19

title: stiles and harper smut

summary: stiles and harper have sex before stiles leaves for college

set in: canon, end of 6a

word count: 3.9k

warning: THIS IS ACTUALLY VERY INTENSE SMUT AND YEAH BUT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REQUESTING FOR SO LONG I HAD TO GIVE IN---

lots of dirty talk, oral (both male and female receiving), fingering, vaginal sex

lots of dirty talk, oral (both male and female receiving), fingering, vaginal sex

if u are one of my internet friends reading this... no u didnt❤️   
listen im a horny bisexual teenager im sorry

They'd been driving for hours. All Harper wanted to do was stretch her legs and get some sleep, so she suggested that they pulled over at the nearest motel. Stiles knew it was only sensible, agreeing when they saw the neon lights at the side of the motorway.

Harper tossed the small bag she had packed for the journey onto the double bed in the middle of the bedroom, stretching her arms as high as she could in the air and yawning loudly. Meanwhile, Stiles was in the bathroom, inspecting whether or not it was clean enough for him to take a shower in it.

"Does it meet your criteria, Stilinski?" The brunette called, amusement lacing her tone as she moved over to open the window, letting some fresh air in.

"Just about." His footsteps made Harper turn around, finding him wandering back into the room while peeling the shirt off of his body.

Stiles revealed his soft abs and the dark hair that lived at the top of his chest and the bottom of his toned stomach. Harper didn't care if she got caught staring, her teeth absentmindedly clamping down on her bottom lip as she admired how effortlessly attractive her boyfriend was.

Stiles saw. His confidence boosted as he sent her a cocky smirk and moved closer to the brown-haired girl, placing his large hands on her hips. Harper's breath hitched in her throat, her gaze flickering from the chest that was practically shoved into her face to his eyes.

He was already staring down at her, smiling. Stiles' hazel eyes twinkled as she shifted her hands so that they rested on his chest. They looked dainty against him, her cold fingertips brushing hot skin and making the boy shiver slightly.

"Your hands are freezing," he spoke, his voice barely above a deep murmur.

"Mm, well you're pretty warm," Harper hummed, running her hands up his chest to snake around his neck, pressing their chests together.

She moved onto her toes so she could press her lips against his. Stiles hummed into her mouth, loving the contact as he kissed back just as eagerly- if not more. His tongue ran across her bottom lip as she opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the action. 

"Harper," he groaned as he pulled away. "I'm gonna miss this."

Her heart skipped a beat. While she had been thinking about them in the moment, Stiles had been thinking about the future. The future where they would be a time zone and thousands of miles apart. Growing up was a bitch.

"Don't think about that," she whispered against his lips. "This about us. Think about now."

Stiles nodded, his hands sliding up to cup her face. "Shower. Now."

He grabbed her hand, leading her to the bathroom so they could continue their antics elsewhere. His slender fingers reached for the bottom of her jumper, gently pulling it over her head. Her hair sprawled out across her shoulders, a groan escaping Stiles' lips when he realised Harper wasn't wearing a bra underneath.

Harper ghosted her hands back down Stiles' chest, her hands brushing past his happy trail until she arrived at the buttons of his khaki pants and started to undo them. Stiles' hand reached down and beneath Harper's skirt, then into her panties.

"Stiles," Harper whimpered, feeling like her body could automatically go limp against him.

He supported her with his other hand, the hand in her underwear dipping down into her folds and finding that she was already wet. Stiles groaned in approval, spreading his fingers and her slick across her, loving the way Harper gripped his arms tightly.

Stiles' biceps bulged as he dragged his finger from her hole to her clit. He started to rub it agonisingly slow, listening to the shallow breaths coming from the girl in front of him. Her forehead dropped onto his chest and his spare hand reached out, gently grabbing her neck and forcing her back.

"I wanna see your pretty face," Stiles murmured, not stopping the actions on her swelling bud. "I wanna watch your eyes roll back when I make you cum with just my fingers."

"Please, Stiles," Harper nodded eagerly, feeling the thumb of the hand he had wrapped around her neck start to trace her jawline. "I wanna cum for you."

The hazel-eyed boy quickened the movements on her clit, slipping his thumb into Harper's mouth. He nearly moaned out loud as she started to suck around him, her brown eyes wide and innocent. Stiles thumbed at her bud before he pressed his fingers against her hole again.

She was so much wetter than before, her slick coating his fingers as he pushed his middle finger inside her. Harper's actions faltered for a moment as Stiles retracted his thumb from her mouth, brushing her spit across her skin as he held her neck again.

"You want another one?" Stiles asked, sliding in and out of her with ease.

"Yes, yes," she nodded quickly, her words failing her for a moment or two. "Please, more. Inside me."

"Anything you ask, princess," Stiles breathed against her ear as he slid another finger inside of her hole.

She already felt so tight around him, her eyes flickering shut as she squeezed his digits unintentionally. Stiles worked to scissor her open better, fingers rubbing her walls and thrusting in and out slowly. Pants were falling from Harper's lips.

He knew this wasn't enough for Harper. They liked it hard and fast, she couldn't just cum from this, no matter how good it felt. Stiles knew what she liked like the back of his hand.

Pretty soon he was adding a third finger and Harper was gasping, hands slinging behind his neck. Stiles let her fall into him for a moment or two, feeling her legs shake beneath her. They didn't normally do this standing up, but Stiles wanted to see how far he could push her.

His hand was back around her neck as he pushed her against the bathroom wall.

"Eyes on me," Stiles instructed.

He began to thrust the three fingers even faster, much to Harper's relief. She squealed when he hit the spot inside her that she loved, her hand reaching to grab his wrist wrapped around her neck.

"Faster," Harper begged. "Please, faster. Stiles."

Her moans and whimpers pushed him further. Stiles' thumb played with her clit as he fingered her, grip tightening around her neck. Harper groaned at the sensation, feeling waves of arousal gush from her every now and then. The coil in her stomach was tightening, her hole pulsing around Stiles' digits.

"You gonna cum?" Stiles hummed. "Cum for me, Harper. Cum around my fingers."

Harper felt herself let go, her vision going slightly fuzzy as Stiles fucked his fingers into her relentlessly. She nearly screamed, loud yells echoing her lips as he fucked her through her high, leaving the brunette a panting mess.

"Good girl," Stiles breathed, watching as her chest heaved as he finally let her fall against him properly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

He let Harper catch her breath for a few moments before he started to edge them towards the shower. Stiles climbed into the tub before he grabbed Harper and lifted her inside, steadying her from where her legs were slightly shaking. He reached for the dial and turned the water on, the two of them immediately getting sprayed by the weak pressure of the motel shower.

Harper wanted to repay Stiles, her hands running down his hips before her right hand wrapped around his cock. Stiles hissed out in a mixture of pleasure and surprise, looking down as he watched her expertly pump his length. She was looking him in the eye like she was doing nothing wrong, the innocent look on her face making Stiles groan.

He leaned down and pressed their lips together, hungrily kissing her as he felt his cock grow harder in her touch. Her small hands felt much better than his own, her thumb swiping at the precum as it leaked from excitement. Her other hand moved down to cup his balls, gently playing with them and Stiles had to pull away to moan, the sound like music to Harper's ears.

Naturally, she loved to be the one beneath Stiles, but she couldn't deny that she loved making him putty in her hands. Harper worked her hand up and down his shaft before she slowly dropped down onto her knees, finding herself right in front of his manhood. One of Stiles' hands reached around to hold her hair while the other was planted against the tiled wall, keeping him stable.

"Fuck, Harper," he moaned.

He looked down, wishing he could take a picture of the sight in front of him as Harper took the tip of his cock into his mouth, playing with him as she slowly worked her hand up and down the rest of his length. As she started to hollow her cheeks and take more of him inside her mouth, Stiles' body tensed and he released shuddering sounds, making Harper look up.

He had his head tilted back in pleasure, a large hand yanking her hair a little tighter when she took him in as far as she possibly could. Harper ended nearly all seven and a half inches in her mouth, bobbing her head and ignoring the slurping sounds that could be heard over the echoing of the water crashing around them and Stiles' breathy moans.

"Fuck, just like that," Stiles kept repeating, absentmindedly thrusting his hips a little.

Harper held onto his hips hollowing her cheeks as she pulled off of him. "Fuck my mouth," she pleaded with him.

Stiles swore he could have cum just from her words. None of their friends would have ever imagined them having such a kinky sex life, but their relationship wasn't just cuddling and watching films. They were horny teenagers who trusted each other perhaps too much and had been together for years, all they wanted to do was experiment with each other.

He obeyed what Harper had said, holding the back of Harper's head to keep her still. She kept her mouth open for him and started to thrust back and forth, listening to her slight choking sounds as she swallowed around him every now and then, squeezing his cock and pushing him further and further towards his climax. Stiles could feel himself about to cum already, and she'd only been sucking his cock about six minutes.

"I'm gonna cum," Stiles groaned. "Where do you want it?"

Harper took one hand off of his hip to pat her face and Stiles nearly grinned, thrusting a few more times before he quickly pulled out of her warm mouth. He jerked his cock a few times and groaned loudly as his cum spurted from the tip, washing over Harper's face and neck. Stiles didn't stop until he was sure there was no cum left, feeling himself grow soft.

Harper hummed as she stood up from her knees, wiping the cum from her face with her fingertips and guiding them into her mouth. Stiles groaned when she put them in her mouth and started to suck, wondering if Harper could get anymore perfect. The water was starting to wash his cum away from her skin, but he reached for a bit on her cheek and put his finger in her mouth, letting her suck that too. She did it-- eagerly.

Stiles could feel himself growing hard again and he had only cum a minute ago. He was pretty sure he would never get tired of fucking Harper. It was always something different. She was always doing something new to surprise him, or he was always begging to try a new position or kink he'd seen online. Harper was always so willing too.

It was all too perfect.

He pressed Harper against the wall and tangled themselves together once more, letting the water flow down their naked bodies. One of Stiles' large palms reached to cup Harper's breast, squeezing it slightly before he started to tease at her nipple, making her back arch off of the tiles.

Their chests pressed against each other and Harper groaned at the feeling of her nipples against Stiles' bare skin. His hands moved down her back and grabbed her ass, squeezing her cheeks before he smacked one. She jolted against him. 

"I love your ass," Stiles murmured against her ear. "And your beautiful tits. And your hips."

His hands travelled across her skin, igniting flames with his fingertips. Harper grabbed his hand before he could cup her breast again, sending him a pleading look.

"No more teasing, Stiles. Please," she begged.

She brought his large hand down to her pussy, making him cup it. Stiles had to hold back a groan as he felt how soaked she was, tracing his finger back through Harper's folds. The girl could never get enough— she couldn't have sex unless she had multiple orgasms, whether it was from his actual cock inside her or if he used his hands and mouth.

"So wet for me," Stiles said, dragging his finger back and forth.

He used his other hand to reach up and turn the shower off before he picked her up by her backside. Harper squealed a little, wrapping her legs around him as Stiles brought them out of the bathroom and headed to the bed.

He flung her down onto the mattress and then used his arms to swipe their belongings onto the floor, wincing when he heard what sounded like a phone smacking the carpet.

Harper shot him a look, but he just shrugged and kneeled down onto the floor, grabbing Harper's thighs. Stiles yanked her towards the edge of the bed and Harper knew to rest her legs on his shoulders as his fingers worked at her pussy once more.

"You want my tongue this time?" He asked huskily.

When Harper whimpered but didn't reply, Stiles pulled his hand back and then smacked her clit— not too hard but enough to send a jolt of pain and pleasure through the brunette who whispered again, but even louder.

"Answer me," Stiles ordered.

"Yes, yes, yes," Harper agreed, nodding her head furiously. "Please fuck me with your tongue, Stiles. Let me cum on your tongue."

"Mhm," he groaned, hot breath hitting her soaking heat. "Good girl."

Harper's back arched when she felt his tongue plant itself against her pussy. It moved flat through her folds, his button nose nuzzling against her clit and causing her to whimper. Stiles worked his way up from the hole to her clit and when he found the swollen nub, he made swirling motions with his tongue around it, teasing her.

"Please," she panted, hands detaching from the sheets to tangle in Stiles' dark hair, tugging a little.

He moaned against her, the vibrations making Harper's legs shake a little and her breathy whimpers grew even louder and less spaced out. Her head was spinning when his mouth finally closed around her clit, sucking and nibbling. He lapped up all of her juices as they came, holding her hips down when she couldn't stop arching her back.

Stiles smoothed his hands up and down her stomach, reaching up to grab her breasts whilst he worked on her clit with his mouth. Harper felt like she could cry as his fingers pinched at her nipples, large palms squeezing and cupping her tits. She threw her head back and released a loud moan when Stiles nibbled slightly on her, feeling herself grow even wetter, her slick starting to drip down her thighs.

When Stiles was sure that she was close, her breaths less even and her legs squeezing tighter against the sides of his head, he pulled away, making Harper groan loudly in disbelief. She lay there panting, her hands releasing his hair to tangle with the sheets. Stiles stood up over her, his nearly six-foot figure looming as he swiped at his lips with his fingers and sucked on them a little.

"Mhm," he groaned. "You taste so good, baby."

Harper's eyes were a little wide at the action and she leaned up onto her knees at the flash of lightning, wrapping her arms around Stiles' neck. The Stilinski boy barely had a chance to react before she was kissing him hard on the lips and tugging him back down onto the bed. His elbows stopped himself from completely crushing her, but their bodies were still pressed against one another, all sweaty and hot.

Harper could feel his hard-on pressing against her pussy and her stomach and she rocked her hips up a little to try and cause more friction. Stiles pulled away to hiss a little, looking down at their bodies where his precum had smeared against her skin.

"Fuck me, Stiles," Harper pleaded. "Just please get inside me. Wanna feel you."

"Whatever you want, princess," Stiles replied, planting one last kiss to her forehead before he pulled back and grabbed his length.

He pumped it a few times before he started to run the head of his cock through Harper's folds, collecting all of her slick. Harper squirmed when he brushed her clit with his dick, groaning when he smacked it against her. Stiles was holding back too, she could tell he wanted to be inside her more than anything right now, so he was going to end up giving in very soon.

After he teased her for a couple of seconds longer, Stiles lined himself up with her hole and pushed the tip inside, watching as Harper gasped. He groaned, his eyes rolling back into his head as he slid in all of the way, right to the hilt and stilling. The brunette beneath him sucked a breath in, arms wrapping back around him at the feeling of being so full. She loved it-- Stiles fit her so comfortably like they were made for one another.

Stiles leaned back down and kissed her lips sweetly, the pair just making out for about a minute before Stiles started to rock against her. Harper whined at the feeling against her clit, looking down to see Stiles pull out and then thrust back in slowly, his cock glistening in her arousal. Stiles' fingers moved out to trace her skin, all of the curves of her body and the scars that she had- the gunshot scar on her shoulder from Matt, the scratches she had from being thrown around by the Ghost Riders before.

"So beautiful," Stiles mumbled, kissing her shoulder and then working his way up to her neck.

Harper tilted her neck to the side, hands moving to his back as he began to kiss her in the place she loved the most. His thrusts were relatively slow and loving as he kissed and sucked and nibbled at her skin, the sensation making Harper so much wetter. It was so easy for him to slide in and out of her, she felt so warm and wet. Harper's nails were gliding gently up and down Stiles back, nowhere near enough to leave marks but to tickle a little.

Once he'd left a few dark marks against Harper's delicate skin, Stiles blew some air onto them and made her clench her eyes shut. He decided that she looked simply stunning beneath him like this, his large hands holding her down as she willingly gave into him, taking and giving everything she could offer to him. Her head hid in his shoulder as he started to pick up the pace a little more, thrusting in and out of her soaking pussy quicker.

"More," Harper whispered.

"Up," Stiles replied, pulling out of her and making her pout a little.

She hated feeling so empty, but she knew exactly what Stiles wanted. Harper flipped back so that she was on her hands and knees, arching her back so that her ass was high in the air and the rest of her body was as flat against the mattress as she could get. Stiles smirked at the sight, running his hands up and down her back and tapping his fingers, marvelling at the sight of his beautiful girlfriend.

He thrust back into her. "So tight for me," Stiles moaned, listening to her breathy whimpers. "Does my cock feel good inside you, baby? Who's the only one that can make you feel like this? The only one that gets to see you like this?"

"You, Stiles," Harper replied quickly, feeling him thrust harder and faster at her words. "You're the only person that can make me cum so hard and get me this wet. It's all for you."

Her boyfriend seemed to appreciate her words, groaning from behind her and tightening his grip on her hips. Harper gripped the sheets in front of her, her entire body rocking with his harsh thrusts as he slid in and out of her. Each time felt better than the last, the coil in her stomach starting to tighten already. Stiles knew her like the back of his hand and he knew that even if she liked this, she couldn't cum from just his dick inside her.

His slender fingers were sliding beneath her and he yanked her up so that she was pressed against his chest which was sweaty. His other hand reached in between them and he started to make circular motions on Harper's sensitive clit. The brunette cried out in surprise, her knees starting to tremble from where she kneeled upon them.

"Are you gonna cum again?" Stiles whispered against her ear.

Harper nodded rapidly. "So close, Stiles. Please."

He jerked his finger in the right way, the combination of his hand and his cock driving Harper over the edge. Stiles had to hold her together as she came undone around him, her walls clamping down on his member that continued to drive in and out of her. Her pornographic moans and the way she called his name sent Stiles tumbling quickly over the edge too.

"Harper. Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Stiles groaned, his thrusts growing uneven and sloppy as he came.

Harper whimpered at how sensitive she felt, clenching around Stiles as he came inside her, his seed spilling and coating her walls. He finally released her, letting her fall down onto the mattress. Stiles pulled out and fell back down next to her, the two of them panting heavily.

When he rolled onto his back, Harper moved so that she was tucked into his arm, both still breathing heavily as they looked up at the ceiling. Stiles leaned down and pressed a short kiss to the side of her head a few minutes later.

"That was amazing, baby," Stiles murmured.

"Mhm," Harper agreed. "We should probably actually shower now, huh?"

The hazel-eyed boy laughed and pulled her closer. "Probably."

...


	20. Chapter 20

title: starper on tiktok 2

summary: harper plays jokes on stiles for her tiktok

set in: non-canon (age 17)

word count: 1.7k

warnings: n/a

A new trend had been going around on TikTok and Harper was prepared

A new trend had been going around on TikTok and Harper was prepared. She was genuinely interested to see how Stiles would react to it, considering how whilst he could be a bit of an ass to everybody else, he had a soft spot for her.

She set up her phone against the dip of the radio inside the jeep and tossed her backpack into the back seat, watching as Stiles finished talking to Coach Finstock by the entrance of the school. He'd tossed Harper the keys and told her to wait in the car, much to her excitement. Literally everything was working out perfectly-- this way he wouldn't see her set her phone up.

Stiles started to head over about a minute later. When he saw she was watching him, he blew her a teasing kiss and jogged to the driver's side, climbing into his seat. Harper hoped he didn't notice her phone recording them.

"How did it go?" She asked him.

"Yeah, Coach said it's fine if I miss practice 'cause he doesn't need me anyway," Stiles snorted, making Harper crack a small smile and shake her head.

"Awh, bubs." She leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to the side of his head as grabbed his keys off the dashboard and started to fiddle with the dozens of metal pieces, looking for the one belonging to his car.

"Wait, I need to get something out my bag," Harper said. "I got you something."

"You did?" Stiles halted his movements, head looking up in curiosity.

Harper was grinning to herself as she leaned into the back, grabbing her backpack and yanking it back as harshly as she could. She nearly burst into a fit of laughter as soon as she felt it hit the back of Stiles' head, but she remained neutral, pretending not to notice as she looked through her bag.

Stiles was watching with a small frown as he rubbed the back of his head, not even mentioning the fact that she had 'accidentally' hit him with her bag. He peered over, watching as she dug through all of her belongings and came up empty-handed.

"You know what?" Harper sighed. "I must have left it at mine."

"Oh," Stiles said.

"Oh well," Harper zipped her backpack up again and jerked her bag back.

She felt a soft smack in the middle of her own face as she connected to Stiles, knowing there was no way he didn't feel it as she hit him with it again. She heard a small 'hmpf' come from his lips and he rubbed his nose again but didn't say anything.

"Actually!" She reached back and was about to grab her bag again when Stiles quickly grabbed her arms.

"Ah, ah, ah, babe- baby, no," Stiles cut her off. "Let me get it, okay?"

Harper was trying so hard not to laugh at this point. "No, it's okay, I can reach--"

"No," Stiles insisted.

Harper let him grab the bag, grinning at the camera secretly until she felt a small smack on the back of her own head. This time she really burst out laughing, holding her head as she turned to face her boyfriend who was holding her bag.

"Whoops!" He teased.

"Stiles!" Harper laughed, practically collapsing into his arms as she laughed against him.

Stiles was laughing too, stroking her back. "You thought I wouldn't notice when my own girlfriend was up to something, huh?"

"I- I'm sorry," Harper finished laughing, kissing him on the lips shortly this time.

Stiles cupped her chin and pulled her back in for another kiss. "Totally fine by me if I get kisses after like that."

...

Another instance where a Tik Tok took place in the jeep was when Harper and Stiles were driving to the animal clinic to meet up with Scott so the three could go out and get food after his shift. She'd been holding one of his hands on her lap and using her other to scroll through the app on her phone when she saw an interesting one.

Stiles had the radio on so he wasn't really listening to her phone where a girlfriend kept shoving her boyfriend's hand off of her for a joke, so she decided now was the perfect time to play yet another trick on her poor significant other.

Harper silently started to record their hands as she glanced towards her unsuspecting boyfriend. He was using his hand on the wheel to drum his fingers against it, humming slightly to the song playing. When Harper slowly slid her hand out from underneath his large one, Stiles didn't glance over but felt about her thigh for her hand again.

Once he found it, he took it back into hers, only for Harper to pull it out.

"That's rude," Stiles muttered, grabbing her hand again and intertwining their fingers.

Harper said nothing but struggled to hold back her smile as she pulled her hand away yet again, Stiles whining childishly.

"Babe," he huffed. "Why can't I hold your hand?"

"I don't feel like it," Harper lied quietly.

Stiles looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Is everything okay?"

As soon as he said it, Harper lifted her phone and recorded his concerned expression which immediately dropped when he realised it was for another one of Harper's Tik Toks.

"Haha, very funny," Stiles muttered sarcastically, looking back to the road as the traffic light turned green.

"I'm sorry, bubba," Harper giggled as she put the phone away and grabbed his hand. "I always feel like holding your hand, you know that."

"I know."

...

Harper's couple Tik Toks always seemed to do really well, so of course, she was going in for the third time. She was in Stiles' bedroom lounging about on his bed when the Stilinski boy went downstairs to get some water for the two of them. Whilst he was gone, Harper took the opportunity to put her phone on record and lean it up on his bedside table.

"One water for my love," Stiles mimicked a terrible English accent as he walked back through the door, handing one glass to her and sitting beside her, their backs pressed against the wall.

Harper snorted and rolled her eyes a little. "Thanks, partner," she faked the best American accent she could.

"Wow, you've been here for eight years and you still can't do a good accent," Stiles teased her.

The brunette released an exaggerated gasp, putting the glass down as she tackled him down onto the bed. She needed to get a reaction out of him so she pretended to shake his shoulders from where he was lying on his back. Stiles was laughing, large hands on his hips.

They both knew that he could flip her over like she weighed nothing if he really wanted to, but he let her act like she had the upper hand.

"Take it back," Harper scolded him. "Say it's good."

"Relationships don't work if either party lie to each other--"

"Stiles!" She hit his chest and laughed.

Stiles suddenly flipped her over just like she had hoped he would. Before her back hit the mattress, Harper called out the first random boy name that came to her head.

"Theo!" She laughed, and as soon as his name escaped her lips, Harper wished she had picked literally any other.

Stiles' hands that had been holding hers down to the bed peeled away and he shot her a look. "Theo? Really?" He grimaced. "Why did you call me Theo?"

"No reason," Harper giggled.

"Harper," Stiles started to nervously laugh. "There's a reason. Why'd you call me Theo?"

"No reason!" She repeated.

Stiles lifted his body from on top of hers to sit up, staring at her with a frown. They stayed silent for a few seconds and Harper couldn't even handle the aching pain she could feel in his chest. Being an Empath truly did suck sometimes-- she could never keep up with pranks.

Harper grabbed her phone from the bedside table and Stiles started to laugh as soon as he saw it.

"Oh, thank god," he buried his face into her neck and Harper chuckled with him as she stroked through his hair. "Please, no more of these Tik Tok pranks."

"Okay, Sti," Harper smiled, pressing a small kiss to the side of his head. "No more."

FT. SMALL HEADCANON BC MAKING IT INTO AN IMAGINE WOULD BE TOO LONG SINCE ITS MAINLY SPEECH

\- so harper would have done the 'it's the... for me' trend with scott and it would have been really funny

\- 'it's the wonky jaw for me'

\- 'it's the fact that your cat is a ginger for me'

\- and so on

\- harper totally beat scott and people were begging for her to do it with 'her boyfriend' since everybody thought they were cute together

\- stiles didn't want to do it

\- not because he didn't want to partake in her tiktok's, but because he didn't want to say any hurtful stuff to her

\- it took him a while and then they finally got round to doing it

\- it would have gone like:

\- "its the adhd for me"

\- "its the being five foot one for me"

\- "its the buzzcut in sophomore year for me"

\- "you said you liked my buzzcut!" "i did, its for the tiktok dummy."

\- "oh. its the not knowing how to drive for me."

\- "its the being in love with your best friend and not doing anything for six years about it for me"

\- that made stiles shoot her the nastiest look

\- "its the being an empath out of every possible supernatural creature for me."

\- "its the being part of a online gaming community that battles mythical creatures for me."

\- sorry it's hard coming up with these when harper and stiles are literally my babies

\- and i have a dark sense of humour like the people that do these tiktoks but canonly stiles would never turn around and go "it's the being an orphan for me' lmaooo

\- and yeah it just ends with them bursting out laughing

\- and that was my tik tok part 2 thanks for reading


	21. Chapter 21

title: cherry

summary: after stiles and harper break up, stiles struggles to move on.

set in: canon, after season 6 and before season 7 (age 23)

word count: 2.9k

warnings: nightmares w/ blood n stuff, brokenhearted stiles

i got this inspo when someone commented that cherry is season 7 starper's song,, but i cant remember who commented it im sorry :(

i got this inspo when someone commented that cherry is season 7 starper's song,, but i cant remember who commented it im sorry :( 

"Don't you call him 'baby',   
We're not talking lately,   
Don't you call him what you used to call me."

It had been a rough night for Stiles. It was one of those days where he couldn't get Harper out of his head, even if it had been nearly a year and a half since he had last spoken to her. For hours that night, he'd sat at the edge of his bed with the ring he'd proposed to her with, cupping it in his large hands and thinking about how perfect it had looked on her finger-- how he'd planned on exchanging it for a gold band soon after anyway.

He knew it was all because of the nightmare he'd had last night. It had started off pretty confusing; just himself wandering through the halls of his old high school in the pitch blackness. Then, he'd seen a body lying in the middle of the floor and ran towards it, his heart dropping in his chest when he realised it was Harper.

His high school sweetheart had blood covering her entire body and bruises around her neck, skin paler than usual. Stiles had tried to shake her awake, screams leaving his lips when he realised that she was dead. When he glanced down and saw blood on his hands, he realised that he had done it to her-- that those were his handprints on her delicate skin that had ended her life.

Nightmares of the Nogitsune plagued him every now and then, and most of the time he was hurting Harper in them. When Stiles woke, all he could see was her face, even when he closed his eyes or took a shower to try and forget everything.

Stiles sat in front of his phone, staring at the silent device on the table as he contemplated whether or not to pick up the phone and call her. He felt the dire need to know if she was okay until he remembered how long it had been since they had last spoken.

A year and a half was a very long time. For the first couple of weeks, they'd tried to maintain a distant friendship, except the texts very quickly faded to nothing, both finding it far too hard to talk when they knew they couldn't have each other the way that they wanted each other.

Moving on was the plan, yet here Stiles sat in his apartment in Oregon at a table meant for two but only seating one. It's not like he ever had anybody come over anyway. Adulthood was lonely and Stiles had a problem with every single one of his coworkers.

Harper's probably with somebody else right now.

The thought had crossed his mind before, but today it struck a nerve in him and caused him to grip the edge of the table, hazel eyes burning holes in the phone. More than anything he wanted to pick it up and call her. He wanted to hear her voice, he wanted that more than anything right now.

What if her new boyfriend picks up?

Stiles' heart clenched at the idea. He nearly groaned out loud, running a hand down his face as he thought about the girl that he had loved since before he even knew what love really was. The years that they had spent together had been the best of Stiles' life, and right now he would kill to have them back.

He'd kill to hear her call him baby again, or even 'Sti'. He hated whenever anybody else called him the nickname, but coming from her it felt like some sort of reward. It's what she'd called him since she was merely twelve and it only sounded good coming from her lips.

What if she had a nickname for her new boyfriend? Or girlfriend-- Stiles often forgot that she was bisexual, but only because whilst they had been together, she'd only ever shown interest in him. Harper was perfect like that; she never ever made him feel like he wasn't enough for her, always telling him how handsome she thought he was or how clever his brain worked.

Stiles was pretty sure he'd rather die than hear Harper call her new boyfriend 'bubba' or 'baby' like she often used to call him. Those names were supposed to be only for him because she loved him.

God, he wanted her to love him again.

"I confess,   
I can tell that you are at your best,  
I'm selfish so I'm hating it."

He should have just deleted Lydia from all of his social media platforms when she stopped talking to him, but Stiles knew that the strawberry blonde was best friends with his ex-girlfriend, so on the rare occasion that he actually opened his Instagram account, he would check up on her to see if she'd seen Harper lately.

Harper had ditched her Instagram account around the time that they finished college; she insisted that she didn't need to post any of her life for others to dictate whether she was interesting enough or not. She'd rather just live in the moment and keep the photos in her phone for her eyes only, although she did prefer her old Polaroid camera. Stiles loved that about her, but now, when he wanted to see what she was doing with her life, he despised it.

The pack had never been that great at social media anyway; Stiles had personally only ever posted pictures of Harper or Scott or whatever video game he was playing, sometimes of the places he went in his jeep. He never had many followers, but he didn't mind-- neither did any of there other friends.

That was except for Lydia, of course. She was always posting, whether in the middle of a supernatural disaster or not. Stiles opened the app that he hadn't touched for a long time and went straight to the Banshee's account, his heart dropping when the screen finally loaded and he saw the familiar face of his past lover.

Lydia's feed was a rainbow of coffee posts, selfies, and the views around her new apartment on the edge of Los Angeles. Except her most recent, from three days ago, was a picture not of herself but of a certain brunette that Stiles still found himself ridiculously in love with.

Harper and Lydia were stood in what he guessed was New York, both dressed in tight-fitted dresses with their hair and makeup done naturally and yet so perfect. Stiles saw the wide grin on Harper's face and the healthy glow of her skin as she had thrown her arms around Lydia, the two laughing at something. It was a nice candid, and Stiles spent a total of three minutes staring straight at her face before he scrolled down to the caption.

the monica to my rachel. thanks for inviting me to new york bby.

Stiles couldn't believe Harper actually lived in New York-- not that he didn't think she'd never be successful enough to do it, but rather he always thought that they'd do it together. He wished he was in Lydia's spot, his arms wrapped around her while she looked at him like he had put the stars and the moon in the sky, just like how she used to look at him.

He knew it was selfish and inconsiderate, but he hated that she was fine without him. Of course, part of him was glad that she was happy and he knew that she'd never been so successful. She looked so happy in the photo, so whole-- meanwhile, Stiles felt like he was the shell of the man that he used to be and he was pretty sure he hadn't smiled that wide since Harper cracked a joke the night before they broke up.

They could have done this together. He'd supported her when she was taking on college and work experience, and now he was just expected to watch her move on with her life, looking happier than she ever looked in her last weeks in a relationship with Stiles.

It hurt so badly. It hurt like nothing Stiles had ever felt before-- he just wished that she missed him as half as much as he missed her.

"I noticed that,   
There's a piece of you in how I dress,   
Take it as a compliment."

Stiles hated the colour yellow, but during their senior year it became one of Harper's favourite colours to wear, so then Stiles loved yellow.

Not many people could pull off the bold colour, but mustard yellow just looked so amazing on her. It complimented her tan skin and mahogany eyes and hair, brightening the glow of her skin making her look like some sort of model. His favourite dress that she wore was her yellow summer one, one that she took with her when she left.

He knew she'd taken his Mets hoodie. At first, it had pissed him off slightly. It was one of his favourites, and what gave her the right to basically steal it when they had just ended things? Except, he did always insist that she looked better wearing it, and boy did Harper wear the hell out of that thing-- whether she was just lounging about or tidying the apartment, she liked to wear the stupid Mets hoodie he'd spent all his money on when he was sixteen.

Then, Stiles didn't mind so much. If she had his hoodie with him, it meant she probably thought of him whenever she slipped it on. Stiles didn't want the stupid hoodie back, he wanted Harper back. Harper and her love for wearing his oversized jumpers and t-shirts. He'd kill to watch her dance around the living room in one of his Star Wars tees again.

Stiles had been doing the laundry less than a week after Harper had moved out when he found the yellow scrunchie Harper always used to keep on her wrist at the bottom of the basket. He picked it up with his slender fingers, holding it in the palm of his hands before he closed his fist around it, the soft material making his heart ache.

He wanted to call her up and tell her that she had forgotten her scrunchie-- how could she do the dishes without throwing her hair up into that messy bun she always did? It was Harper's favourite one, she'd had it since she was seventeen. Stiles had paced around for a few minutes before he realised how pathetic he was being and he nearly broke down into tears.

Slowly, he'd slipped the scrunchie onto his wrist and barely looked at it, going about his daily routine with a piece of Harper close to him.

He hummed those The Neighbourhood songs that she had liked, but he daren't put one on through the speakers. They were always her band, but she'd ruined the music for him. Hearing Sweater Weather on the radio on the way from home was like a bullet to the chest. He didn't want to sing along if she wasn't singing with him.

"I just miss,   
I just miss your accent and your friends.   
Did you know I still talk to them?"

Skype calls with Scott were hard for both of them. It only took a few minutes of catching up before they found themselves waiting for Harper's input, only to remember that she wasn't in the call. When Scott burped loudly or farted, they waited for the small laugh and the telling off from their petite friend, their smiles slowly fading into pursed lips and awkward nods.

Stiles felt guilty, and he was sure that wherever Harper was, whatever she was doing, she probably felt guilty too.

Unintentionally, the pair had torn the pack apart, especially their best friend in the whole world who just missed seeing the two of them like usual. When they ended things, they'd told their friends not to pick sides and that everything would be like normal, but it wasn't.

Lydia completely ignored the memo and avoided Stiles like the plague, but Stiles sort of understood that. Harper had been Lydia's constant throughout the strawberry blonde's high school experience, and he kind of got the impression that she never really liked him anyway, especially when he would unintentionally hurt Harper.

The rest of the pack tried their best to include both Stiles and Harper, but it was hard. They never hung out as a group anymore and when Stiles returned to Beacon Hills for special occasions or holidays, he only ever saw his dad and maybe Scott and Allison. Stiles had no idea that when things ended with Harper, they were ending a chapter of everybody's lives completely.

Stiles still tried to Skype Scott monthly. With or without Harper, they were still brothers-- always would be— it just wasn't the same. Scott looked a lot different to the last time Stiles had spoken to him, he even had some facial hair and the hair on top of his head was curling a little.

They were laughing about something when Stiles saw Allison walk in the back of the shot, fiddling with her bag. "I'm leaving now, babe."

Scott craned his neck around, smiling at his girlfriend. "Okay, baby. Call me when you get there."

They shared a small kiss goodbye before Allison left, causing Stiles to frown a little. "Where's Allison going?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, Lydia's invited all the girls down to LA for a weekend," Scott shrugged. "Allison said it's just some lowkey thing. Girl shit, I don't know."

Stiles' frown deepened a bit, thoughts of Harper clogging his brain. She'd probably make another feature on Lydia's Instagram page if that was the case. He wished he could ask her about it personally rather than have to hear about it from their friends or see it on social media. He missed the pack together so deeply.

This had not been the vision.

Stiles found himself drunk later that night. He was completely out if it, slouched on the couch in his apartment with that stupid ring back in his hand. If she could see him now, Stiles worried that Harper would call him pathetic. He hoped she would wipe the tears falling from his eyes and hold him close though.

His arms sort of wrapped around himself as the tears streamed, small sniffles escaping his nose. He lifted his large hand and wiped at the tears before he stumbled into his bedroom and fell into his bed, hugging a pillow close to his body. Stiles thought maybe if he got drunk enough the pillow might feel something like Harper, and maybe then he would finally be able to sleep.

He missed holding her at night. He missed the way she would talk to him as they fell asleep.

Stiles was grabbing his phone before he even realised what he was doing. He put it on No Caller ID and scrolled down to her untouched contact, pressing it for the first time in a couple of years. He wiped his tears again and called her, praying that she hadn't changed her phone number.

It rang and rang and rang before it went to voicemail.

"Hi, it's Harper. Sorry, I missed your phone call, just leave your details or whatever and I'll try and get back to you as soon as possible. Bye!"

Stiles shuddered, feeling a shower of hot tears fall. He didn't realise so many tears could fall at once, but there he was, his hands slightly shaking as he repeated her soft voice in his head over and over again. He missed her accent. The way she said her own name-- 'Har-puh'-- so softly, no hard 'r's'.

He wanted to hear his name in her voice again. He found himself going back to his cameral roll and watching all of the videos of the two of them. She'd always laugh his name and shove the phone when she realised he was recording her, so blissfully unaware of how beautiful he really though she was.

Stiles decided it wasn't enough and called up again, closing his eyes as it went back to her voicemail. He listened to intently, wishing he could hear it repeated over and over again. When he called for the third time to hear her voicemail again, Stiles nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the ringing stop and a small static sound.

"Mhm, hello?" Harper mumbled tiredly.

Stiles was stunned into silence, realising he had definitely woken her from her sleep. He forgot she was three hours ahead, so it must be four in the morning for her. He felt awful, knowing she probably had work in the morning. Still, he said nothing.

"Hello?" Harper repeated and he heard the shuffling of bed covers against the speaker. "Ur, I think--" She paused to yawn. "Ah, I think you have the wrong number whoever you are."

And when he heard the beep that indicated the end of the call, Stiles broke down into sobs.

...


End file.
